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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's chase for titles this campaign is being threatened by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a grueling fixture list.

Latest Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

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

"Practice, 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 really vicious circle."

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

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that training methods were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Plans

Despite a major off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not planning to dip into the January transfer market.

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

Looking Ahead

The team experienced their initial defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the top of the Premier League to two points.

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group win would all but secure a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive European fixture.

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