Lukaku continued his blistering start to the season with a hat-trick for Belgium against Gibraltar on Thursday night.
But the 24-year-old, with three Premier League goals already to his name, will see the veteran Swede forward back in the fold later this season at Old Trafford after his serious
knee injury.
Ibrahimovic was the main man for United last season, scoring 28 goals in all competitions,but Lukaku said: “I don’t fear the competition as a striker, or Zlatan.
“He will bring many qualities to the team and help us in our goal of winning the title.
“I said to Zlatan I hoped he would be back. We need his personality.
“And I knew for a while that he would sign a new contract.”
Lukaku rang Ibrahimovic over the summer to ask if he could wear the No.9 shirt at United, with the 35-year-old now set to wear No.10 after Wayne Rooney’s departure.
Lukaku added: “We know there are big rivals for the title – City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham. But things are going really well for me at United. The pre-season was
good and it helped knowing a lot of the players before arriving.”
Lukaku admitted he had wanted to play for Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho for most of his life.
Some had assumed Mourinho’s decision to sell Lukaku, while they were both at Chelsea, had affected their relationship before his move to Old Trafford.
But Lukaku said: “It is all about progressing and learning.
“I’m now with a coach that I have wanted to play for for a long time, since I was 11.”