Inter striker Romelu Lukaku’s fitness level is felt to be ahead of schedule after the Belgian nearly completed a full ninety minutes in Thursday evening’s friendly match against Reggina.

This according to Italian news outlet Gazzetta.it, who report that the 29-year-old had only been anticipated to be ready to play for the first half, and the fact that he managed 86 minutes is seen as a very optimistic indicator.

Lukaku’s aim is to be as close to top physical condition as possible when the Nerazzurri return to Serie A action against league leaders Napoli on January 4.

In this respect, the striker is well aware that he is still not at his best after the long period out recovering from an injury.

The team had been cautious about Lukaku’s fitness in Thursday’s friendly match against Reggina, expecting that he likely would not play much more than 45 minutes.

However, the striker had no problem playing for much of the second half, only coming off in the 87th minute, and this is seen as a very positive sign.