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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's pursuit for titles this campaign is being threatened by a worrying circle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Practice, 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 vicious cycle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long list of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most 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 rehabilitate from knee and "requires more time," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training intensity were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Strategy

Despite a major off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely planning to enter the January recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just focusing on getting the players back and with luck it will be a question of weeks," he commented. "We know how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team experienced their initial defeat in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group victory would all but secure a knockout phase place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League match.

"We are disappointed with the result, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."