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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's chase for honors this season is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Latest Team Update

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

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle problem.

"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 dangerous circle."

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 recorded 95 player absences, 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 surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice methods were to blame, citing a shortage of time for drills. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a significant summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely looking to dip into the winter recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on getting the players back and with luck it will be a matter of weeks," he commented. "We know how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their lead at the summit of the league to two clear points.

Focus now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth group-stage win would all but secure a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth straight successive Champions League match.

"We are frustrated with the result, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."