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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's chase for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Latest Team Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek clash to Belgium due to sickness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly dangerous circle."

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

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "needs more time," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that training intensity were to blame, citing a lack of time for drills. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.

Transfer Plans

Despite a significant off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely planning to dip into the winter recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of a short time," he said. "It's clear how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

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

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

"We are disappointed with the result, but we have to keep going," he stated. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."