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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for titles this season is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Latest Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back 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 replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle problem.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly 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 circle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a long list of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-most 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 recover from surgery and "requires more time," according to the boss.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice intensity were to blame, pointing to a lack of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a significant off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the club is not planning to enter the winter recruitment market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad experienced their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their advantage at the summit of the league to two points.

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage win would all but guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth straight successive European match.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "It's not like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."