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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's chase for titles this season is being threatened by a worrying cycle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to Belgium due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still unavailable.

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

"Practice, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive series of fitness problems for the club. 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 unlikely to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training intensity were to blame, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a significant summer investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to enter the January transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad experienced their first defeat in 18 matches at the weekend, reducing their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would virtually secure a top-eight finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive European fixture.

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