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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's pursuit for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Team Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot injury.

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

Dowman's setback is the latest in a long list of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last campaign, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to blame, pointing to a lack of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a significant off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is not looking to dip into the January transfer market.

"Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a matter of weeks," he commented. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The team experienced their initial loss in 18 matches at the weekend, reducing their advantage at the summit of the league to two clear points.

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

"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli said. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."