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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's chase for titles this campaign is being threatened by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Latest Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to Belgium due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward added to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Practice, no because we lack 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 really vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long series of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "requires more time," according to the manager.

Arteta rejected the idea that practice intensity were to culprit, pointing to a lack of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a major summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not 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 a short time," he said. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their initial loss in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group victory would all but secure a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive European fixture.

"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."