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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's chase for honors this season is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.

Latest Team News

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Training, 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 dangerous circle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive series of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from surgery and "requires more time," according to the boss.

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to culprit, citing a lack of opportunity for drills. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Transfer Plans

Despite a significant off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not planning to dip into the January recruitment market.

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

Looking Ahead

The team suffered their initial loss in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the summit of the league to two points.

Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group win would virtually guarantee a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth straight successive European fixture.

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