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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their European squad. He comes in for the hurt 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 loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous cycle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long list of injuries for the North London side. Since the start of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

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

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a major summer investment over £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not planning to enter the winter transfer market.

"Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he commented. "We know how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the summit of the league to two clear points.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would all but secure a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.

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