Arsenal defender Pablo Mari has returned to training with Monza - two months after being stabbed with a knife in a horrific attack.
The 29-year-old, who is on loan at the Serie A minnows from the Gunners, was one of five people to suffer injuries when the shocking incident unfolded in a Milan shopping centre in October. Sadly, one person lost their life as a result of the appalling attack.
Mari was stabbed in the back and was fortunate to avoid life-threatening injuries. The former Manchester City defender required two stitches to his lip and surgery on his back to fix the damaged muscles, which ruled him out of action for at least two months.
Mari handed Monza a boost when he attended their 2-0 Serie A victory against Verona in November, which was his first public appearance after the attack. He's since stepped up his progress by returning to training ahead of the second half of the season.
Mari is now joining in with first-team exercises but will continue his individual programme until it is completed. Monza's Serie A campaign resumes against Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on January 4, with Mari poised to make an emotional comeback.
Monza were promoted to Serie A last season and are 14th in the table, nine points clear of the drop zone. Mari's on-loan club haven't played a competitive game since their 3-0 win against Salernitana in November due to the ongoing World Cup in Qatar.
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The defender has missed four Serie A games since the shocking incident and will be keen to return to Monza's defence after a good start to the season. The Spaniard has made eight appearances in Serie A, scoring once. His one-year loan deal expires in June.
Mari thanked fans for their support and offered his condolences to the person who died after the attack. "Thankfully we [his family] are all fine despite the circumstances and to thank all the messages of support and love we are receiving," he wrote on Instagram.
"In addition, we want to send condolences and all our strength to the relatives and friends of the deceased person, and we sincerely wish that all injured people recover as soon as possible."
Monza released a statement on Mari's recovery shortly after his surgery. It read: "The specialists of the General Surgery-Trauma Team of the Niguarda Hospital in Milan carried out this morning the surgery to reconstruct the two injured muscles on Pablo Mari's back.
"The surgery went well and a hospital stay of two or three days is expected. After the resignation, the player will be able to start a rehabilitation process. This type of muscle injury usually requires two months of rest before you can resume physical activities."
Mari joined Arsenal from Brazilian side Flamengo in January 2020 and has played 19 times for Mikel Arteta's side. The Copa Libertadores winner was on the books at Man City between 2016 and 2019 but never played a senior game for Pep Guardiola's team.
