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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's chase for honors this campaign is being threatened by a concerning circle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Team Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

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

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive list of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning 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 the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "needs more time," according to the boss.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training methods were to culprit, citing a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a significant summer investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to enter the January transfer market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad experienced their initial loss in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the top of the league to two points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually secure a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive European match.

"We are disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."