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Arsenal defender Pablo Mari has said he was "lucky" after being stabbed in a supermarket near Milan.
On Thursday night it was widely reported that the centre-back, currently on loan at Monza, was one of six people attacked by a crazed knifeman.
It's said the incident occurred in the Carrefour supermarket in the Milanofiori di Assago mall near Milan at 6:30pm local time, with a 46-year-old Italian man believed to have taken a knife from the store and began attacking members of the public.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Mari was in the shop with his wife and young son. He was stabbed in the back and will undergo surgery on damaged muscles Friday, even joking he will be playing against Bologna on Monday.
Speaking to the Italian outlet, Mari recalled: "I was with the baby stroller when I felt unbearable pain in my back. I was lucky because I saw a person die in front of me after being stabbed in the throat. I'm fine, on Monday I'll be playing."
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None of Mari's vital organs were affected and he was in good spirits in the hospital, where he was visited by Monza president Adriano Galliani and manager Raffaele Palladino.
Speaking after Arsenal's loss to PSV Eindhoven, Mikel Arteta said: "I just found out. I know Edu has been in touch with his relatives. He's in hospital but he seems to be okay."
It was reported that a 30-year-old cashier working on the checkout died from injuries, with two other victims in a serious condition according to Italian media.
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The suspect was detained and taken into custody. There was a report claiming former Napoli player Massimo Tarantino was involved in taking the knifeman down and disarming him, though he has played down his role, saying: "I'm not a hero. I didn't do anything special."
Mari, who was at Manchester City for three years without playing a game, has played 19 times for Arsenal.
He spent last season on loan at Udinese and is with Monza for the 2022/23 campaign, where he's made eight appearances.
Josh Lawless