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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's chase for titles this campaign is being threatened by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Latest Team Update

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League clash to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Practice, no because we lack 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 really vicious circle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long list of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training methods were to culprit, citing a lack of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Plans

Despite a significant off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely planning to dip into the winter recruitment market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad experienced their first defeat in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

Focus now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth group-stage victory would all but secure a knockout phase place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League match.

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