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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's chase for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Latest Team Update

Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward added to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long series of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

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

Recruitment Plans

Even after a major summer investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not looking to enter the winter transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

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

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group victory would all but secure a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth straight successive European fixture.

"We are frustrated with the result, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."