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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's chase for honors this season is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Team News

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

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward added to their Champions League squad. He replaces 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 missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absentees

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

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training intensity were to blame, pointing to a lack of time for drills. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a major off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely planning to dip into the January recruitment 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 weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the summit of the league to two clear points.

Attention now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would virtually guarantee a knockout phase place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.

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