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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's chase for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

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Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League clash to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, 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 striker added to their European squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Practice, no because we don't have 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 list of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice intensity were to blame, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a significant summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not looking to enter the January transfer market.

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

Looking Ahead

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

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would all but secure a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth consecutive Champions League fixture.

"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli said. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."