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

Latest Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really dangerous cycle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

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

Arteta dismissed the idea that training intensity were to culprit, pointing to a lack of opportunity for drills. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a significant off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not planning to dip into the January recruitment market.

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

Looking Ahead

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

Focus now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would all but guarantee a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth successive European fixture.

"We are disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."