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

Latest Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker registered to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot injury.

"Training, no because we don't have 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 truly vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long series of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "needs more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice methods were to culprit, citing a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a major summer investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely planning to dip into the winter transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

The team experienced their initial loss in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the top of the Premier League to two clear points.

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually secure a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League match.

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