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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for titles this season is being threatened by a concerning circle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

Latest Squad News

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

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

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the start of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "requires more time," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training intensity were to culprit, citing a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a major off-season spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is not planning to enter the winter transfer market.

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

Looking Ahead

The team suffered their first defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would all but guarantee a top-eight finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth consecutive Champions League match.

"The team is frustrated with the result, but we have to keep going," he said. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."