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

Latest Team Update

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

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker registered to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly vicious cycle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," according to the boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that training intensity were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a major off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely looking to dip into the winter transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

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

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would all but secure a knockout phase place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive European match.

"The team is frustrated with the result, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."