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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's chase for titles this campaign is being threatened by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Latest Squad News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek clash to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle problem.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But obviously 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 dangerous circle."

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

Long-Term Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from knee and "needs more time," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training intensity were to blame, pointing to a lack of time for drills. He highlighted the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Despite a significant off-season spend over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to dip into the winter recruitment 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. "It's clear how important those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their initial loss in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the top of the league to two clear points.

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group win would virtually guarantee a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth successive European match.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."