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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of fitness setbacks and a grueling fixture list.

Fresh Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly vicious cycle."

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

Long-Term Absences

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

Arteta rejected the idea that practice intensity were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of time for drills. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.

Transfer Plans

Even after a major off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely planning to enter the winter transfer market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their initial loss in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing 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 victory would virtually guarantee a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth successive European fixture.

"We are disappointed with the result, but we have to move forward," he stated. "It's not like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."