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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's chase for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek clash to Belgium due to sickness. 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 injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a long series of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last campaign, 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 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "requires more time," according to the boss.

Arteta dismissed the idea that training methods were to culprit, citing a lack of time for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely planning to enter the January recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a question of weeks," he commented. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team experienced their first loss in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the summit of the league to two points.

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would all but secure a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth consecutive Champions League fixture.

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