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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt 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 missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly vicious circle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long series of injuries for the club. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training methods were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Transfer Plans

Even after a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is not planning to dip into the winter recruitment market.

"Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a question of weeks," he commented. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their first defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the top of the league to two points.

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

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