Giovanni Di Lorenzo said Italy ‘know Romelu Lukaku is a great striker’ but pointed out that Belgium have ‘many strong players’ ahead of the quarter-final on Friday.
The Napoli defender spoke to UEFA.com two days ahead of the big game against the Red Devils and was asked if he was prepared to face Inter striker Lukaku.
The 28-year-old has scored three times at the Euros this summer and Di Lorenzo points at further threats from Roberto Martinez’s side.
“We know Lukaku well because we also face him in Serie A,” Di Lorenzo told UEFA.com. “We know he is a great striker, he had a wonderful season with Inter.
“He is to be kept under observation, but Belgium have many strong players and it will be a great match.”
Belgium are the biggest test for Italy so far, as they won all three Group A games at the Olimpico against Turkey, Switzerland and Wales, before beating Austria after 120 minutes at Wembley.
“The further you go, the stronger teams you face,” Di Lorenzo said. “But the approach is always the same.
“The coach always asks us to do the same things, to have fun, to play with enthusiasm, with courage.
“These are the fundamental elements of our team. Whichever opponent we face, we will always try to impose our game.
“So far, we have succeeded and we hope to have a great game against Belgium too.”