Arsenal player returns to training after life threatening injury

Arsenal defender Pablo Mari trained with his teammates at loan club Monza on Wednesday for the first time since he was the victim of a stabbing attack at a nearby shopping centre.

Mari, who joined Monza in the summer after failing to establish himself at Arsenal and spending the second half of last season on loan at Udinese, was caught up in the attack in neighbouring Milan in October. He was among six victims, one of whom sadly passed away.

The 29-year-old underwent successful surgery to repair muscles in his back damaged by the knife.

Posting on Twitter this week, the Spaniard said, “Back with the team. Step by step. Work hard.”

Initial estimates were that Mari would need two months to recuperate before returning to training. Given that the stabbing happened at the end of October, he appears to be slightly ahead of schedule. A return to the pitch for the second half of the Serie A season is now possible in January.

Speaking at the time of the incident, Monza chief executive Adriano Galliani suggested that being a professional athlete potentially saved Mari’s life, due to the strength of the muscles in his shoulder and back ensuring that the knife didn’t do even more damage when it entered.

"What I've understood from the doctor is that if he hadn't had strong muscles in his back, the knife probably would've gone in more deeply and he would've died,” Galliani said. “Being an athlete certainly helped him in terms of having strong muscles that stopped the knife.”

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