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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's pursuit for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Team News

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

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

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly vicious cycle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "requires more time," according to the boss.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice methods were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for drills. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

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

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

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their first loss in 18 matches at the weekend, reducing their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group-stage victory would all but guarantee a knockout phase place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League match.

"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."