Arsenal paid tribute to Pablo Mari ahead of and during their clash with Nottingham Forest as the centre-back was discharged from hospital after he was stabbed in a supermarket in Milan.
The 29-year-old, who is currently on loan at Serie A side Monza, was one of five people attacked in a supermarket on the outskirts of Milan on Thursday. Tragically, Carrefour worker Luis Fernando Ruggieri was killed in the incident, and Mari suffered a deep wound to his back, forcing him to undergo surgery.
Mari has now gone under the knife and is well enough to return home, although it is understood he could now spend two months on the sidelines. The Spaniard has made eight appearances for Monza since joining the club on loan in the summer, scoring one goal.
In response to the attack on Mari, the Arsenal players paid tribute to him before their Premier League clash with Forest, with the entire squad and management posing for a photo holding Mari’s shirt.
Following Gabriel Martinelli’s opener, the Brazilian again celebrated with the shirt as players went over to the corner of the stadium to join the display. It was a touching tribute to the player, who has made 19 appearances for Arsenal since his move from Flamengo.
Mari said on Saturday: “After the tough time we had yesterday, both my family and I want to communicate that thankfully we are all fine despite the circumstances and to thank all the messages of support and love we are receiving. 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.”
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Meanwhile, Monza’s CEO Adriano Galliani added: “I was lucky, because I saw a person die in front of me. I had the trolley, with the baby inside. I felt excruciating pain in my back. After that I saw this man stab a person in the throat, in front of me. I’m fine, I’ll be on the field on Monday.”
A statement from loan club Monza on Friday, however, revealed the extent of Mari’s injuries. 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.”
