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

Fresh Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

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

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But clearly 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 truly vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the North London side. 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 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that training methods were to blame, citing a shortage of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Even after a significant off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not planning to dip into the January transfer market.

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

Looking Ahead

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

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would all but guarantee a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.

"The team is frustrated with the result, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."