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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's chase for honors this season is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the Champions League clash to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

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

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly 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 really dangerous circle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that training methods were to culprit, citing a shortage of opportunity for drills. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a significant summer investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not looking to dip into the winter recruitment market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad experienced their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their lead at the top of the Premier League to two points.

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

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli said. "This isn't like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."