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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for honors this season is being threatened by a concerning circle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Latest Squad News

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, 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 striker added to their European squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Training, no because we lack 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 most recent in a long series of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "requires more time," according to the boss.

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

Transfer Strategy

Even after a major summer investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely planning to enter the winter transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the top of the Premier League to two points.

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group win would virtually guarantee a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.

"We are frustrated with the result, but we have to keep going," he said. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."