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

Latest Squad News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker registered to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle problem.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a long series of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of time for drills. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a major off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely looking to enter the January transfer market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on getting the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of a short time," he said. "We know how important those weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

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

Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would virtually guarantee a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth consecutive European fixture.

"We are frustrated with the result, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."