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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's pursuit for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.

Latest Squad News

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League clash to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their European squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot injury.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive series of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the boss.

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

Transfer Plans

Even after a significant summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely looking to dip into the winter recruitment market.

"Right now we're just focusing on getting the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of a short time," he said. "We know how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 matches at the weekend, reducing their advantage at the top of the league to two clear points.

Attention now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group win would all but secure a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth straight successive Champions League match.

"We are disappointed 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 stick together."