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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for titles this campaign is being threatened by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.

Latest Squad News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

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

"Practice, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly vicious cycle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive series of injuries for the club. Since the start of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice methods were to culprit, citing a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Plans

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

"At the moment we're just focusing on getting the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of a short time," he commented. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

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

Focus now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage victory would all but secure a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth successive European match.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."