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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's chase for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Squad News

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle problem.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly vicious circle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive series of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that practice methods were to culprit, pointing to a lack of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a significant off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely planning to enter the winter transfer market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a question of weeks," he commented. "We know how important those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their first defeat in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the summit of the league to two clear points.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would all but guarantee a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth straight successive European match.

"We are disappointed with the result, but we have to move forward," he stated. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."