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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's chase for titles this season is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Team Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot problem.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly dangerous circle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive series of injuries for the club. Since the start of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absences

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

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training methods were to culprit, citing a shortage of opportunity for drills. He highlighted the pressure on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.

Transfer Strategy

Despite a major off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely looking to dip into the winter recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just focusing on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a question of weeks," he said. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their first defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the summit of the league to two clear points.

Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would all but guarantee a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli said. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."