Manchester United news: Romelu Lukaku reveals staying out of the gym has helped him return to goal scoring form

Manchester United news: Romelu Lukaku reveals staying out of the gym has helped him return to goal scoring form
Romelu Lukaku feels in tip top shape again following his post World Cup slump.Manchester United‘s main striker said he is now reaping the benefits of shedding the muscle he put on to play for Belgium in Russia.3

Lukaku, who joined Man United from Everton in a 75m transfer in 2017, has struggled in front of goal this season

A promising first season at Old Trafford has been followed by a largely frustrating second campaign under Jose Mourinho, with the 25-year-old struggling to make an impact in front of goal.But Lukaku ended a 12-match goalless streak for United at Southampton last weekend and then scored at Old Trafford for the first time since March in Saturday’s 4-1 win against Fulham – his sixth Premier League strike of the season.And he has not let criticism, the most recent being from former United midfielder Paul Ince, distract him. “No, no, not really [did it affect me],” Lukaku said.“I think I just need to keep working hard. Me and the manager had good conversations in the last couple of days, where really he told me what he wanted from me.“And I know from my side I have to do better, and I just keep looking forward and improving, trying to add into my game and help the team to win.”3

The striker is on a different fitness regime and has been shedding the muscle he gained in the summer

Asked what he was not doing well enough, the striker said: “Not enough intensity. I played with not enough aggression, I think.“Today I think I played with intensity like everybody else did. For me, I was happy to play at a decent level again and now it’s all about improving and continuing on a consistent basis.”Lukaku has been striving to improve by working hard on the training pitch, but less in the gym having bulked up a little during the summer.“[I added] a little bit of muscle, yeah,” he said with a smile. “It was at the World Cup. I just felt great and I think I played great over there, and then when I came back it is a different type of style.“When you are in the Premier League, I cannot play with the same amount of muscle as international football here in the Prem. That was something that when I came back I knew straightaway ‘nah, nah, I cannot play in this style like this’.3

Lukaku scored four goals for Belgium at the World Cup as the nation reached the semi-final

“I had to lose muscle basically, yeah. So you just stay out of the gym, drink a lot of water, and a lot of veg and fish and it helps.”As well as cutting down his muscle, Lukaku also had to overcome knock-on impact of his World Cup exertions in a summer that saw Belgium finish third.“After the World Cup, I think I really was like a bit tired,” he said. “But, you know, I had the same thing in 2014 after the World Cup when I came back to Everton I was really in a slump after the World Cup.“So, now I think I am in a decent level again and ready to go again. Me and the medical staff, we did like a lot of tests to see what was the problem and stuff. Also I had a hamstring injury, which is something that never happens to me.”

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