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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's chase for titles this campaign is being threatened by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Latest Team Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward added to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But obviously 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 circle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long series of fitness problems 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 be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from knee and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training methods were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for drills. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Strategy

Despite a significant summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely planning to enter the winter transfer market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their first defeat in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would virtually guarantee a top-eight finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth straight successive Champions League match.

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