Arsenal defender Pablo Mari was one of six people to have been attacked with a knife in a supermarket near Milan and has been taken to hospital to treat his injuries.
The Spanish centre-back is conscious and suffered severe injuries to his back, though none are thought to be life threatening. According to reports in Italy, the incident occurred in a Carrefour in the Milanofirori di Assago shopping centre on Thursday evening at around 6:30pm local time.
A 46-year-old man has been arrested and taken into custody after taking a knife from the shelves of the shop and attacking people, with six people hurt in the incident. AC Monza president Adriano Galliani stated via the club's Twitter account: "Dear Pablo, we are all here close to you and your family, we love you, keep fighting as you know how to do, you are a warrior and you will get well soon!"
READ MORE: Arsenal defender Pablo Mari stabbed in supermarket attack in Milan
Speaking after the Gunners 2-0 defeat against PSV Eindhoven, Mikel Arteta stated: "I just found out. I know Edu has been in touch with his relatives. He's in hospital but he seems to be ok."
The club added: "We are all shocked to hear the dreadful news about the stabbing in Italy, which has put a number of people in hospital including our on-loan centre-back Pablo Mari.
"We have been in contact with Pablo's agent who has told us he's in hospital and is not seriously hurt. Our thoughts are with Pablo and the other victims of this dreadful incident."
Mari himself has now broken his silence on the incident admitting he had 'luck' on his side after he avoided life-threatening injuries after being stabbed in Milan yesterday. He will undergo an operation later today to correct a muscle injury in his back, though it is not yet known how long the Spaniard will be out of action for.
Mari has since spoken to his manager at Monza, Raffaele Palladino and the club's CEO Adriano Galliani according to the Italian publication Gazzetta. The Arsenal loanee said: "Today I had luck because I saw a person die in front of me.
"I was with the trolley with my child inside and I felt an excruciating pain in my back. Then that man stabbed another in the throat."
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