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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's chase for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Squad News

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

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward added to their European squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot injury.

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

Dowman's setback is the latest in a long series of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Long-Term Absentees

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

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice intensity were to blame, citing a lack of opportunity for drills. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a major off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely looking to dip into the winter recruitment market.

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

Looking Ahead

The team experienced their first defeat in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the summit of the league to two clear points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group victory would virtually secure a knockout phase place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.

"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," he stated. "This isn't like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."