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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for titles this season is being threatened by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Team Update

Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

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

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long series of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 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 return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training methods were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for drills. He highlighted the pressure on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a significant off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to enter the winter recruitment market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their first defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the summit of the league to two points.

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would virtually guarantee a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth successive European fixture.

"We are disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."