"On the go" is an understatement for Sporting Lisbon's goal machine. He himself scored three goals against Azerbaijan and Estonia in the Nations League's premiere round in September. He also set up two of Isak's three goals in the same matches.
But now Slovakia awaits in Bratislava – an opponent on a different level. It's the Slovaks who enter the National Stadium as slight favorites on Friday evening, not least due to home advantage and their strong performances in the European Championship this summer.
When even Isak's intended replacement Gustaf Nilsson got injured, Gyökeres suddenly stood as the only pure striker in the squad. It will likely have tactical consequences.
"We can adapt"
National team coach Jon Dahl Tomasson has closed training sessions to outsiders this week. Most likely, he and the players have spent a lot of time on exercises with Gyökeres as the lone striker.
That gives the striker himself a hint.
We won't play with two pure nines. So, it's clear that it will be different in that way. But we have players who can play in other ways. I think we can adapt to that, says the striker.
The role as a lone striker doesn't bother him.
In Sporting, I've played as a lone striker and with another. We vary and switch between one and two there as well, so it shouldn't be a problem in the national team, he says.
The offensive injury crisis means he can't get injured.
I have to stay healthy and take care of my body, says Gyökeres, knocking on the wooden table.
Going for three points
Gyökeres is getting bigger and bigger in international football. He leads the scoring league in Portugal with eleven goals after eight league matches. He also made an immediate impact in his Champions League debut. Against Lille, he scored his first goal in the tournament.
It felt good. The first match was special, of course, nice to score and win. Then the second match (1–1 away against PSV Eindhoven) went so-so, but it's been a decent start anyway with four points.
Your approach ahead of the match against Slovakia?
It's clear that we're going for three points. It's a tough opponent, but I think we're good enough to control the match and win.
The men's Nations League consists of four divisions, where the best teams play in the A division and the worst in the D division.
Sweden was relegated from the second-highest division in 2022 and now plays in the C division.
The group stage there will be decided during the autumn, and it's about winning the group to be promoted directly to the B division.
The group runner-up will play a playoff in a double match (home and away) against a group three from the B division in a battle for a spot in the second-highest division in the future.
The two worst fourth-placed teams in the C division's four groups will be directly relegated to the lowest division. The two best fourth-placed teams will play a playoff against two group runners-up from the D division.
Sweden's remaining matches in the C division:
11 October: Slovakia (away).
14 October: Estonia (away).
16 November: Slovakia (home).
19 November: Azerbaijan (home).
Previous results:
Azerbaijan 3–1 (away).
Estonia 3–0 (home).
