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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's chase for honors this campaign is being threatened by a worrying circle of injuries and a grueling fixture list.

Fresh Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their European 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 obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really dangerous circle."

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

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training methods were to blame, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Plans

Despite a major summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely looking to enter the winter recruitment market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their initial loss in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their advantage at the top of the league to two points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would virtually secure a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League fixture.

"We are disappointed with the outcome, but we have to keep going," he said. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."