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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for titles this season is being threatened by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling fixture list.

Latest Squad News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still unavailable.

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

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

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

Extended Absentees

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

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to blame, citing a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

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

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

Next Challenge

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

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would all but guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth consecutive Champions League match.

"The team is frustrated with the result, but we have to keep going," he said. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."