MILAN, Italy: Monza soccer player Pablo Mari faces around two months out of action after an operation on Friday on wounds sustained when he was stabbed along with five other people in a supermarket near Milan.
One person was killed in Thursday’s attack, a 47-year-old Bolivian national who worked at the supermarket in a shopping mall in the town of Assago, Italy’s Carabinieri police said. Another employee was injured along with four customers, including Mari.
Milan’s Niguarda hospital said on Friday its trauma team had carried out surgery to reconstruct two injured muscles in Mari’s back.
The surgery went well and the defender is expected to remain in the hospital for two or three days, it said, adding he will be able to start a rehabilitation process immediately after.
“This type of muscle injury usually requires two months of rest before one can resume physical activities,” it said.
A 46-year-old suspect was detained after the attack in a Carrefour supermarket but the motive was not clear, the Carabinieri said.
They said late on Thursday the suspect had mental health disorders and was under guard in a psychiatric ward.
According to Il Corriere della Sera newspaper, one of the first people to intervene to block the attacker was former Napoli, Inter Milan and Bologna soccer player Massimo Tarantino, who was also in the supermarket.
Monza have asked the Italian football league to postpone their Serie A match at home to Bologna scheduled for Monday as the team is “in a total state of shock,” Monza Chief Executive Adriano Galliani said.
Newly promoted Monza, owned by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, are currently 15th in the 20-team league.
Mari, a 29-year-old Spanish center back, is on loan at Monza from Premier League club Arsenal.
Monza soccer player Mari faces two months out after supermarket stabbing
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Monza soccer player Mari faces two months out after supermarket stabbing
- Milan's Niguarda hospital said on Friday its trauma team had carried out surgery to reconstruct two injured muscles in Mari's back
- One of the first people to intervene to block the attacker was former Napoli and Inter Milan player Massimo Tarantino
Alcaraz and Sabalenka set sights on Australian Open fourth round
- Spanish world number one Alcaraz came through a tough three-set arm-wrestle in round two
- Top seed Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, faces Russia-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova
MELBOURNE: Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka return to the Australian Open battlefield on Friday with fourth round berths at stake, joined in the fight by third seeds Coco Gauff and Alexander Zverev.
Spanish world number one Alcaraz came through a tough three-set arm-wrestle in round two and faces another tricky encounter against French 32nd seed Corentin Moutet.
The 22-year-old has again been handed an afternoon match on Rod Laver Arena, once more following Sabalenka on to Melbourne Park’s center court.
The Belarusian top seed Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, faces Russia-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova to kick-off day six where temperatures are forecast to soar.
Alcaraz, who is bidding for a career Grand Slam of all four majors, said his testing 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2 victory over Yannick Hanfmann in round two served him well.
“I’m still getting used to the conditions, getting used to playing better,” said the six-time Grand Slam winner.
“Just happy that I’m just improving every day after every match. So hopefully being better in the next round.”
Alcaraz has never gone past the quarter-finals in his four trips to Australia.
Should he beat Moutet, he will meet either American 19th seed Tommy Paul or Spanish 14th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to make the last eight once again.
Sabalenka, as the overwhelming favorite, was upset by Madison Keys in last year’s final but insists revenge is not her motivation.
“I look at each match as a new match, new opportunity. I have also been working really hard,” she said.
“For me, it doesn’t matter what was in the past. For me, it’s the new match.”
Like Sabalenka, Gauff has been impressive so far, saying she was “near perfect” in making the third round.
She faces fellow American Hailey Baptiste, ranked 70, on Margaret Court Arena.
World number three Gauff takes to the court after Russia’s three-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev, who lines up against Hungary’s Fabian Marozan.
Last year’s beaten finalist Zverev has dropped a set in both his opening two matches and will have a tough encounter in an evening clash on John Cain Arena against British 26th seed Cameron Norrie.
Women’s seventh seed Jasmine Paolini and men’s 10th seed Alexander Bublik are also in action.
Home hope and sixth seed Alex De Minaur has again been awarded the night match on center court, this time against dangerous American Frances Tiafoe.
Eighth seed Mirra Andreeva rounds out the day’s action on Rod Laver Arena in a clash with Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
