Djed Spence's First Training Session with Inter

Djed Spence has finally stepped onto the grass in an Inter shirt. Almost a month after arriving from Tottenham Hotspur, the England international has taken part in his first outdoor training session with the Nerazzurri – but his wait for a San Siro debut looks set to continue.

First steps at Appiano Gentile

Club photographers captured Spence working with the group on Thursday, with Italian outlets confirming it was his first session out on the pitch since completing his €35m summer move.

For Inter fans, it is the first real glimpse of the 26-year-old as more than just a signing announcement and a name on the teamsheet. Until now, his work had been confined to the gym and individual programmes.

This delayed start has a clear backstory. Spence was granted an extended holiday after his run to the World Cup semi-finals with England over the summer, and La Gazzetta dello Sport report that he returned carrying a minor physical issue. That problem cost him the final stretch of pre-season and has kept him out of competitive action.

It also explains the contrast with another England World Cup squad member in Simone Inzaghi’s squad. John Stones, who also arrived at San Siro earlier in the window, has already featured three times in Inter colours while Spence has yet to kick a ball in anger.

Inter in no rush

The calendar offers one obvious opportunity. Inter host Udinese at San Siro on Monday night in Serie A, and Spence now has three more days of work before that fixture comes around.

Yet the sense from inside Italy is that the club will not be swayed by the temptation of an early cameo. SportMediaset report that Inter’s hierarchy are determined not to rush him, preferring to build his condition steadily after the disrupted summer.

A more realistic target has already been circled: the first match after the international break. Inter face Parma at home on 10 October, and that date has been pencilled in as the ideal moment for Spence’s competitive bow.

For now, then, the wait goes on. The boots are finally on the grass, the cameras are rolling, and the curve of his integration is clear. The only question left is whether patience now will pay off when he finally bursts down that right flank in front of a full San Siro.