The surgeon who operated on Pablo Mari said that the player’s ‘muscle mass’ saved him from much more serious injuries.

Pablo Mari’s surgery was a success and the player has already been sending messages out on social media to thank people for their support.

Writing on Twitter, Mari said, “After the hard time we experienced yesterday, both my family and I want to communicate that fortunately we are all fine despite the circumstances, and to thank all the messages of support and affection that we are receiving.”

Después del duro momento que vivimos ayer, tanto mi familia como yo queremos comunicar que afortunadamente estamos todos bien a pesar de las circunstancias, y agradecer todos los mensajes de apoyo y cariño que estamos recibiendo. pic.twitter.com/8NywRczNS8

— Pablo Mari Villar (@PabloMV5) October 28, 2022

As he continues his recovery which will see him spend a few more days in hospital before a two-month lay-off from physical activity, the man who performed the operation to repair the damage has been speaking to the press.

“The surgery was a relatively simple one,” said, the director of the general surgery and trauma team at the Niguarda hospital in Milan, Osvaldo Chiara.

“Luckily there were only two damaged muscles.

“(Marí’s) muscular mass is such that the length of the knife that was used couldn’t pass through the rib cage and hit his lung.”

Mari also required two stitches in his lip, an injury thought to have happened, according to Monza CEO Adriano Galliani, as he gritted his teeth as he was stabbed.

You can read what happened to Mari below.

28 October 2022

Arsenal defender, Pablo Mari, was one of a number of people stabbed by a man in a supermarket but the 29-year-old is stable with injuries that are not life-threatening although they did require surgery.

As he shopped with his wife and child on Thursday, Pablo Mari was stabbed in the back when a man started attacking shoppers at random

One person, a 30-year-old supermarket cashier, died and at least five others were injured, including the Arsenal defender who is currently on loan with AC Monza.

Mari’s agent, Arturo Canales, informed the BBC that his client “was conscious and no vital organs had been affected.”

He underwent surgery on Friday to repair damage to two muscles and will now be out of action for around two months.

Speaking to Gazetta, as reported by Football-Italia, Mari said he saw the shop worker die in front of him.

“I was lucky because I saw a person die in front of me,” Marì said.

“I was pushing my trolley with my child in the seat. I felt tremendous pain in my back, and then that man stabbed another guy in the throat.”

AC Monza CEO, Adriano Galliani told Sky Italia, “He had his son in a trolley and his wife next to him. He didn’t notice anything. He then felt something painful in his back, which was the criminal’s knife.

The alleged attacker, a 46-year-old man named Andrea Tombolini, was restrained by a number of customers before being handed over to police. Reports in Italy claim that former Serie A defender, Massimo Tarantino, was the person who disarmed the attacker.

“He was shouting ‘stop, stop’,” Tarantino told Italian media.

“I did nothing, I am not a hero.”

A message from “Adriano Galliani, Mister Palladino, the team and all of AC Monza” on their official website said simply, “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!”

Arsenal, meanwhile, said, “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.”