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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's pursuit for titles this campaign is being threatened by a worrying circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Team Update

Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle problem.

"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 really vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long series of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "requires more time," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice methods were to blame, citing a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the team is unlikely planning to dip into the winter recruitment market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their initial loss in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their lead at the summit 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 top-eight finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League match.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," he said. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."