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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's chase for titles this season is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

Latest Squad News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to Belgium due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive list of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Extended Absentees

• 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," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that training intensity were to blame, pointing to a lack of time for drills. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a major off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely planning to dip into the January recruitment market.

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

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the top of the league to two points.

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group victory would virtually secure a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth consecutive European fixture.

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