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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's chase for honors this season is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot problem.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a extensive series of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "requires more time," as stated by the manager.

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

Transfer Plans

Despite a significant summer investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not planning to enter the January recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck 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 initial loss in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the top of the league to two points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would all but secure a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive European fixture.

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