Djed Spence Finally Trains with Inter Milan – Debut Anticipation
Almost a month after landing from Tottenham Hotspur, Djed Spence has finally stepped onto the training pitch in an Inter shirt. The wait for his first minutes at San Siro, though, looks set to continue.
Club photographers captured the England international working outside on Thursday, with Italian outlets confirming it was his first full session on the grass since completing his €35m summer move. For the Nerazzurri, it was the first real glimpse of a player signed to make an impact down the right. For Spence, it was a small but significant step after a stuttering start in Milan.
This has not been the usual post-transfer bedding-in period. The 26-year-old was granted an extended holiday after England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in the summer. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he then returned carrying a minor physical issue that ruled him out of the final stretch of pre-season.
That combination has left him watching from the sidelines while others have moved ahead in the queue. Fellow England World Cup squad member John Stones, who also joined the club earlier this summer, already has three Inter appearances to his name. Spence, by contrast, has so far been limited to warm-ups, gym work and a solitary image in full kit before the Serie A clash with Monza at San Siro on August 22.
Inter take the long view
The calendar appears to offer an obvious opening. Inter host Udinese on Monday night in Serie A, three days after Spence’s return to outdoor training. The temptation might be to fast-track a big-money signing into the matchday squad, if only for a late cameo in front of the home crowd.
The club hierarchy see it differently.
SportMediaset report that Inter’s management are in no rush to accelerate his return. The plan, for now, is caution: build fitness properly, avoid setbacks, and drop him in when he can stay there. The date quietly circled in the diary is not Udinese, but Parma at home on October 10 – the first match after the international break.
That fixture has been “pencilled in” as the ideal stage for his debut, according to the same report. It would give Spence several more weeks of full training, tactical work with Simone Inzaghi’s staff and the chance to arrive at his first appearance as more than just a headline signing.
For Inter, the message is clear. The investment is long-term. The right-back they paid €35m for will come – just not before they are convinced he is ready to sprint, not limp, into life at San Siro.
