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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's chase for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly 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 cycle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training intensity were to culprit, citing a lack of opportunity for drills. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Despite a major off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not planning to enter the winter transfer market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad experienced their first defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their advantage at the top of the Premier League to two points.

Focus now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group victory would virtually secure a top-eight finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive European fixture.

"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," he said. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."