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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Squad News

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back 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 hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle problem.

"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 knock-on effect to that and it's a really vicious cycle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive series of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "needs more time," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training methods were to blame, citing a lack of opportunity for drills. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely planning to enter the January recruitment market.

"Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a matter of a short time," he said. "We know how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their first loss in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually guarantee a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth consecutive European fixture.

"The team is frustrated with the result, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."