Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres survives injury scare in Sweden’s World Cup warm-up
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has shaken off a concerning tackle to score in Sweden’s 2-2 pre-World Cup friendly draw with Greece.
The recent Premier League champion went down under a clumsy second-half challenge from Panagiotis Retsos.
Replays showed his right foot caught awkwardly between the Greek defender’s legs, prompting immediate fears of a serious tournament-ending setback.
Scare quickly put to rest
However, the Gunners talisman recovered to play on and subsequently netted a 30-yard deflected free-kick shortly after the interval.
His equaliser cancelled out an opening strike from former Liverpool full-back Kostas Tsimikas.
Gustaf Nilsson briefly gave Graham Potter’s side the lead, before a 95th-minute Giorgos Masouras goal denied the Scandinavians a morale-boosting victory.
World Cup campaign beckons
Surviving the friendly unscathed is a significant relief for a Swedish team heavily reliant on their attacking talent.
The prolific frontman is expected to form a potent partnership with Liverpool forward Alexander Isak at the upcoming tournament in North America.
They begin their Group F campaign against Tunisia on 15 June, before facing pivotal clashes with the Netherlands and Japan.
The forward heads into his first major international tournament boasting an impressive record of 20 goals in 33 international caps.