Djed Spence's Inter Milan Debut Wait Continues
Djed Spence steps onto the grass at last. The wait for his Inter debut, though, goes on.
Almost a month after completing his €35m move from Tottenham Hotspur, the England international has finally joined his new teammates in full outdoor training, with club photographers capturing him working on the pitches at Appiano Gentile on Thursday. For Inter supporters eager to see their new full-back in the flesh at San Siro, it is a welcome sight – and a reminder that the club are taking the long view.
A delayed start after a long summer
This was Spence’s first session “out on the grass” since signing for the Nerazzurri in the summer window. The 26-year-old arrived in Milan on the back of a draining but successful few months with England, having gone all the way to the World Cup semi-finals.
Inter granted him an extended break after that run, a decision that looked generous at the time and now appears necessary. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Spence returned from international duty carrying a minor physical issue, one that ruled him out of the closing stages of pre-season and slowed his integration into Simone Inzaghi’s plans.
That detail goes a long way to explaining why he has yet to feature, even as another member of England’s World Cup squad, John Stones, has already pulled on the Inter shirt three times since his own move to San Siro earlier in the summer. While Stones has hit the ground running, Spence has been forced to build from the treatment room and indoor work.
Inter play the long game
The calendar offers him a theoretical opening. Inter host Udinese on Monday night in Serie A, giving Spence three more days of work before the next ball is kicked in anger. The temptation, for a club that invested heavily in him, might be to fast-track his debut and ride the wave of anticipation.
Inter’s hierarchy are resisting that urge.
Reports from SportMediaset indicate that the club’s management see no reason to rush Spence back into competitive action. The idea, for now, is caution over impulse, rhythm over risk. The plan being discussed is clear: use the coming days and the international break to get him fully up to speed, then unleash him when his body is ready for the intensity of Serie A.
A date has already been quietly circled. According to those same reports, Inter’s first match after the international break – at home to Parma on October 10 – has been pencilled in as the ideal window for Spence’s debut.
San Siro must wait
Spence has already sampled the atmosphere at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. He was pictured on the pitch before the Serie A clash with Monza on August 22, a new signing taking in his future stage under the floodlights in Milan. The image hinted at a swift introduction.
The reality has been different: a slow burn instead of an instant impact.
Now, with the first proper training session outside completed and the recovery timeline clearer, the path is finally taking shape. Udinese will likely come too soon. Parma, under the lights after the international pause, is where Inter hope their €35m investment will finally step out in Nerazzurri colours and start justifying the wait.
