Arsenal have provided an update on defender Pablo Mari’s condition after he was stabbed in an incident in Italy on Thursday. The 29-year-old was one of six people injured in the attack on a supermarket in the Milanofori area after a man took a knife from a supermarket shelf and started stabbing people. One man has died as a result of injuries sustained in the attack.
Five people were taken to hospital, and a man in his 30s is believed to have been pronounced dead on the way to hospital. A 46-year-old man has been detained by local police following the incident, which is not being treated as a terrorist attack.
While initial reports had suggested that Mari had been seriously injured, Arsenal have clarified that their player, on a one-year loan to AC Monza, “is not seriously injured” and is receiving treatment after consultation with the player’s representatives.
“We are all shocked to hear the terrible news about the stabbing in Italy, which has put a number of people in hospital, including our loan-out centre-back Pablo Mari,” Arsenal’s statement read.
“We have been in contact with Pablo’s agent, who has told us he is in hospital and not seriously injured. Our thoughts are with Pablo and the other victims of this terrible incident.”
Arsenal had previously told Express Sport: “We understand he is in hospital and he is fine, but we don’t know more than that at the moment.”
Mikel Arteta, who made Mari one of his first signings as Arsenal manager in January 2020, only found out about the incident after their 2-0 Europa League loss to PSV Eindhoven.
“I know [club technical director] Edu has been in contact with his relatives,” Arteta said in his post-match press conference. “He is in the hospital. He seems fine. I will get a report now about what happened.”
Monza manager Raffaele Palladino was due to visit Mari, who has played eight times in Serie A this season during his loan spell, in hospital on Thursday night along with other club officials.
The general director of the Italian club, Adriano Galliani, published a message of support through the club’s Twitter account: “Dear Pablo, we are all here for you and your family. We love you. Keep fighting. You are a warrior and you are soon will be better,” he said.
Galliani later gave more details about his condition: “Pablo Mari had a fairly deep wound on his back, which fortunately did not touch vital organs such as the lungs or others.”
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