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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for honors this campaign is being threatened by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

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

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long series of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absences

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

Arteta rejected the idea that training methods were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a significant off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not looking to enter the winter recruitment market.

"Right now we're just concentrating 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."

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their first loss in 18 matches at the weekend, reducing their lead at the summit 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 knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth consecutive European fixture.

"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," he stated. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."