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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's chase for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.

Fresh Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Practice, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really vicious cycle."

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

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "requires more time," according to the boss.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training methods were to culprit, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a significant off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely looking to enter the January recruitment market.

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

Next Challenge

The team experienced their initial defeat in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their lead at the top of the Premier League to two clear points.

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group win would virtually guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth straight successive European match.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."