Pablo Mari is back in training with AC Monza for the first time in his ongoing recovery from his surgery on a stab wound.

Pablo Mari posted on Twitter on Wednesday to confirm he’s “back with the team” at AC Monza, working “step by step” to make his competitive return to the pitch in Serie A.

Back in October, Mari was one of a number of people stabbed by a man whilst in a supermarket with his wife and child. Fortunately, all three escaped the incident with their lives, though Mari required surgery.

Italian outlet Gazzetta.it had reported earlier this month that Mari’s recovery was progressing quickly, and he could be back on the field around a month from now, between January 14th and January 22nd.

At the time, the player was working on a treadmill, doing lower-body exercises, and he’d been back in his home country of Spain to continue with his rehab.

Yet it now seems as if Mari could be back even sooner than expected. Football-Italia report that he’s ahead of schedule, and will be hoping to return to the field when Serie A fixtures kick off again on January 4th.

In Mari’s absence, Monza have had mixed results, with a couple of wins and a couple of defeats. But they sit nine points and four places clear of the relegation zone, which is the important part.

Avoiding relegation is the primary goal for Monza this season, having been promoted from Serie B earlier this year. But it’s also an important factor for Mari’s long-term future.

Mari has a clause in his loan deal that makes his loan permanent under certain conditions, and the key one of those is that Monza must avoid relegation.

So if Monza continue to stay clear of the drop, the defender will move to Italy permanently.