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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's chase for titles this season is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.

Fresh Team News

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

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

"Practice, no because we lack 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 vicious cycle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive list of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last campaign, 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 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the boss.

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

Recruitment Plans

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 focusing on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a question of a short time," he said. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the summit of the league to two points.

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually secure a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth successive European match.

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