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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's chase for honors this season is being threatened by a worrying circle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Team Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker registered to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot problem.

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

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," according to the boss.

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to culprit, citing a lack of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a major summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not planning to dip into the winter transfer market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group victory would all but guarantee a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive European match.

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