Rome, Oct 28 (EFE).- Arsenal player Pablo Mari, currently on loan at Italian Serie A side Monza, says he is “lucky” to have survived a stabbing attack at a shopping center on the outskirts of Milan on Thursday night that left one person dead and at least four injured.

Mari, originally from Valencia, Spain, had surgery on Friday after he was stabbed in the back. He is expected to return to training in two months, a medical report said.

“The operation went well and he is expected to be discharged in two or three days,” according to the medical report sent to Efe.

“After the operation, the player will be able to start a rehabilitation process. This type of muscle injury usually requires two months of rest before being able to resume physical activity,” it added.

Mari was injured after allegedly being attacked by a 46-year-old Italian man who reportedly suffered from mental health problems. He allegedly stabbed four other people, one of whom — a Bolivian male employee of the Carrefour supermarket — died on the way to hospital.

According to Monza CEO Adriano Galliani, who visited the player in hospital on Thursday night, the Spanish defender, who came through the academy at Mallorca and has played for clubs in five countries, admitted that “he was lucky” to have survived because he saw “a person die in front of” him.

The attack occurred around 6:30 pm on Thursday, when the man allegedly grabbed a knife from the supermarket’s shelves and began stabbing people in the vicinity, including the player who was with his wife and son.

In a statement, the supermarket chain expressed “its utmost closeness to the employees and customers involved in the attack and their families” and confirmed that the police were immediately called and that the attacker had been arrested. EFE

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