Arsenal defender Pablo Mari stabbed in Italy

Arsenal confirmed that defender Pablo MariHe was taken to hospital in Italy after being stabbed on Thursday, although his injuries are not believed to be serious.

Reports in Italy said Marie, on loan to Monza from Arsenal, was one of five people stabbed in an accident at a Milan shopping mall on Thursday. One person was reported killed.

Arsenal confirmed in a statement the incident but said Marie’s injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

“We are all shocked to hear the horrific news of the stabbing incident in Italy, which has led to the hospitalization of a number of people including our loaned central defender Pablo Mari,” statement read.

“We contacted Pablo’s agent who told us he was in hospital and was not seriously injured.

“Our thoughts are with Pablo and the other victims of this horrific accident.”

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta spoke shortly after Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands on Thursday, and was asked about Marie’s condition.

“I just found out – I know [Arsenal technical director] Edo is in contact with his relatives.”

“He’s in the hospital and he looks fine, but I’ll get a briefing now on the situation and what happened. We’ll be in touch with him, and hopefully he’s OK.”

Monza’s CEO, Adriano Galliani, shared more details about the accident.

“Pablo Marie sustained a deep cut in his back that, fortunately, did not touch vital organs such as the lungs or anything else,” he was quoted by Sky Italy as saying. “His life is not in danger, he should recover quickly.”

Mari joined Serie A on loan from Arsenal in the off-season. He joined the Premier League club in 2020 from Flamengo.

Carabinieri said police have arrested a 46-year-old Italian suspected of involvement in the attack on a shopping mall in Asago, a suburb of Milan.

A supermarket employee died on the way to the hospital, according to the ANSA news agency, which said three other victims were in serious condition.

The motive behind the attacks was not known, but police said the man showed signs of psychological instability. There were no elements indicating terrorism.

Eyewitnesses told ANSA that they saw people fleeing the supermarket in shock, and when the seriousness of the situation became clear, store workers closed the store’s shutters.

Supermarket chain Carrefour said police and ambulance crews responded immediately to calls warning them of the attack. The chain expressed its sympathy to the employees and customers affected by the attack and said it is providing them with psychological support.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.