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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for titles this campaign is being threatened by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Squad News

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive series of injuries for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta rejected the idea that training intensity were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for drills. He highlighted the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Plans

Even after a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not looking to dip into the winter recruitment market.

"Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a question of weeks," he commented. "It's clear how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

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

Attention now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would virtually guarantee a top-eight finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."