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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's chase for honors this season is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Team News

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, better 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.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly dangerous circle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive list of injuries for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absences

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

Arteta rejected the idea that practice intensity were to culprit, citing a shortage of time for sessions. He highlighted the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a significant off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the club is not looking to dip into the winter transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad experienced their first loss in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the summit of the league to two points.

Attention now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would all but guarantee a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.

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