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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a grueling fixture list.

Latest Team Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle problem.

"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 knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long series of injuries for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

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 manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that training intensity were to culprit, citing a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Even after a significant off-season spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely looking to dip into the January 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 important those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Attention now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would all but guarantee a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League fixture.

"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."