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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's chase for titles this season is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.

Latest Team Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge 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 Brazilian forward added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle problem.

"Training, no because we don't have 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 really dangerous circle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive list of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the start of last campaign, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Long-Term Absentees

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

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice intensity were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a major off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to dip into the January recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on getting 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."

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their first loss in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the top of the league to two clear points.

Attention now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth group win would all but guarantee a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League fixture.

"We are frustrated with the result, but we have to keep going," Martinelli said. "This isn't like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."