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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's pursuit for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of injuries and a grueling fixture list.

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Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek clash to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Training, no because we don't have 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 vicious cycle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive list of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice methods were to blame, pointing to a lack of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Plans

Even after a significant off-season spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely looking to enter the January transfer market.

"At the moment we're just focusing on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he said. "We know how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their lead at the top of the Premier League to two points.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group win would virtually guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth consecutive European match.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "This isn't like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."