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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's chase for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

Latest Squad News

Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really vicious circle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice intensity were to blame, pointing to a lack of time for drills. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a major off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely planning to enter the January transfer market.

"Right now we're just focusing on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a question of a short time," he said. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would virtually guarantee a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth successive European match.

"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," he stated. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."