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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's chase for honors this campaign is being threatened by a worrying cycle of injuries and a grueling fixture list.

Latest Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back 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 comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot injury.

"Practice, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous cycle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long list of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Extended Absentees

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

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice intensity were to culprit, citing a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a significant summer investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not planning to dip into the winter recruitment market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad experienced their first loss in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the summit of the league to two clear points.

Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would virtually guarantee a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth consecutive European fixture.

"The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to move forward," he said. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."