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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's pursuit for honors this season is being threatened by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.

Fresh Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot injury.

"Training, no because we lack 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 cycle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long series 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.

Long-Term Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice methods were to culprit, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a major summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is unlikely planning to dip into the winter transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial loss in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the top of the Premier League to two clear points.

Focus now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group victory would virtually guarantee a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League fixture.

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