Belgian national team head coach Roberto Martinez feels that Inter striker Romelu Lukaku is completely indispensable to the way that the Red Devils aim to play.
Speaking to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deporitvo, via FCInterNews, Martinez emphasized that the 29-year-old is a player who would be virtually impossible to replace like-for-like.
Inter have been dealing with trying to build their attack in the absence of Lukaku over much of the past three months as the Belgian has been injured for much of the period.
Whilst the other forwards in the team have made their contribution, no one has really been able to replicate the kind of influence that Lukaku has in playing against opposition defenders and threatening in behind, both with and without the ball.
It is a similar story for his country, where Belgium coach Martinez makes no secret of the fact that the Nerazzurri striker is absolutely vital to the attacking plan that he wants to rely on.
“I was very happy when I saw Romelu’s smile after his goal against Viktoria Plzen,” the coach said.
“For us he’s irreplaceable,” he continued. “Every national team has irreplaceable players.”
“Look at Argentina with Messi, Croatia with Modric, Brozovic and Kovacic, Spain and Germany also have players like that. That’s just how it works.”
Martinez noted that “For us these are Thibault Courtois, Kevin de Bruyne, and Lukaku.”
“If they don’t play, we have to play in a different way,” he added. “Maybe if Lukaku is out then we have to play with more forwards.”