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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for titles this season is being threatened by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Squad News

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

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker registered to their European squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot injury.

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without 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 extensive series of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "requires more time," according to the boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that practice methods were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for drills. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Despite a significant off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely planning to enter the winter transfer market.

"Right now we're just focusing on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a matter of a short time," he commented. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The squad experienced their first defeat in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their lead at the top of the Premier League to two clear points.

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group win would all but secure a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth consecutive European fixture.

"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."