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

Latest Squad News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."

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

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," according to the boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that practice methods were to culprit, pointing to a lack of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a major summer spend over £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is not looking to dip into the January recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on getting 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."

Looking Ahead

The squad experienced their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group win would virtually secure a knockout phase place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League match.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."