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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt 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 loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly vicious cycle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a long list of injuries 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 unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from surgery and "requires more time," according to the boss.

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice intensity were to blame, pointing to a lack of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a major off-season spend over £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is not looking to dip into the January recruitment market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the top of the Premier League to two clear points.

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group-stage victory would virtually guarantee a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth successive European match.

"The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to keep going," he stated. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."