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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's chase for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

Fresh Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Practice, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are loading 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 long series of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Long-Term Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," according to the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice methods were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a major summer investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not planning to dip into the January transfer market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on getting the players back and hopefully it will be a question of weeks," he said. "We know how important those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their lead at the summit of the league to two points.

Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.

"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli said. "This isn't like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."