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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's pursuit for titles this season is being threatened by a concerning circle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

Latest Squad News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek clash to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, 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 striker registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot injury.

"Training, no because we lack 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 dangerous circle."

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

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "needs more time," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to culprit, citing a lack of time for drills. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a major summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the club is not planning to enter the January recruitment market.

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

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial loss in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually guarantee a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League match.

"We are disappointed with the result, but we have to move forward," he said. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."