Pablo Mari returned from injury and returned to the pitch for AC Monza on Monday, but their dreadful start to the Serie A season continued.

Arsenal have some investment in the fortunes of Serie A side AC Monza this season, given the terms of the loan for Pablo Mari. The centre-back will join Monza permanently at the end of the campaign, but only if they avoid relegation.

As a result, Arsenal fans will hope that Monza can stay up, bringing some money in and removing one potential transfer distraction next summer.

Mari has been unable to help his team too much so far, picking up a muscular injury after his debut. But the problem only kept him out for a few games, and he returned to the starting lineup against Atalanta on Monday.

Despite returning to the team, Mari couldn’t help Monza avoid a 2-0 defeat to a very good Atalanta side – who are currently top of Serie A.

But whilst that loss was understandable, it’s still Monza’s fifth defeat in five games. Monza sit at rock bottom of the league, having scored just two goals and conceded 13.

The one positive is that it’s still so early on, and just one win would likely be enough to pull the team out of the relegation zone. It’s just hard to see where that win is coming from when your team hasn’t scored for over 200 minutes.

Perhaps the next game is an opportunity, with Monza facing 17th-placed Lecce. If they can’t pick up a point in that one, things will really start to look bleak.