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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's pursuit for titles this season is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling fixture list.

Latest Team News

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot injury.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really dangerous circle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a long series of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, 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 recover from knee and "needs more time," according to the boss.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice methods were to blame, citing a shortage of time for drills. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Strategy

Despite a major off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not planning to enter the January recruitment market.

"Right now we're just focusing on getting the players back and with luck it will be a question of weeks," he commented. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their advantage at the top of the Premier League to two clear points.

Focus now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would virtually guarantee a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth successive European match.

"We are disappointed with the result, 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."