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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Squad News

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward added to their European 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 obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long series of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training intensity were to blame, pointing to a lack of time for drills. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a major off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely looking to enter the January recruitment market.

"Right now we're just focusing on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he commented. "We know how important those weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad experienced their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their lead at the top of the league to two clear points.

Focus now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth group victory would all but secure a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth straight successive Champions League match.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," he said. "It's not like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."