Romelu Lukaku Praises 'Champion' Zlatan Ibrahimovic Ahead of Milan Derby

Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku has heaped praise on former team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic ahead of the derby against AC Milan on Sunday.

The Belgian told Tiki Taka (h/t Football Italia) Ibrahimovic is a "champion" who gave him plenty of advice when the two worked together at Manchester United:

"Ibra is a champion, I respect him. In Manchester I could train every day with him, that was the most beautiful thing for me. It will be nice to play against him. He is a great champion and professional.

"For me it’s normal that he can do those things at the age of 38. He works a lot; he always gave me advice when we played together in Manchester. He’s up there with (Cristiano) Ronaldo."

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The 38-year-old Ibrahimovic returned to the Rossoneri in January after a two-year stint with L.A. Galaxy.

He has hit the ground running, helping his club turn their season around:

Milan still sit in eighth place in the Serie A standings after the draw against Hellas Verona, but they're once again in the thick of the race for the UEFA Europa League tickets.

The Rossoneri will be looking to derail Inter's title bid on Sunday in one of the most anticipated derby matches in years. The Nerazzurri sit just two points behind eight-time defending champions and leaders Juventus in the standings.

Like Ibrahimovic, Lukaku has had a major impact on his new club after his summer move from United. He's been scoring at a solid rate:

Inter ended a three-match winless streak against Udinese on Sunday and will likely be favourites going into the derby. They will be without the suspended Lautaro Martinez, however, and star goalkeeper Samir Handanovic is also likely to miss out:

That's good news for Ibrahimovic, who has scored once in four Serie A outings so far. The Rossoneri have scored in six straight outings across all competitions.