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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for honors this season is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.

Fresh Team News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot problem.

"Practice, 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 issue is the most recent in a long series of injuries for the North London side. Since the start of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

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

Arteta rejected the idea that training methods were to culprit, citing a shortage of time for drills. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a significant summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely 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 question of a short time," he commented. "We know how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their first defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would all but secure a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth successive European fixture.

"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," he said. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."