Inter striker Romelu Lukaku could return from the thigh strain that he suffered a little bit earlier than has been expected.

This according to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia, who report that the 29-year-old’s recovery process so far suggests that his injury layoff may not last as long as had been thought based on initial assessments.

Lukaku missed out on yesterday evening’s Serie A win over Cremonese, whilst he will also miss the Milan derby on Saturday and likely be out some time after that.

However, the exact timeline for the Belgian’s return is still unclear, and it has been reported that he may be out until October, missing all of the Nerazzurri’s five remaining matches before the first international break of the season.

The 29-year-old has been working towards a speedy recovery, though, and according to Sky a return sooner than expected can hardly be ruled out, although when this would be is still not clear.