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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's pursuit for honors this season is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

Fresh Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their European squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Training, no because we don't have 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 truly vicious cycle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive series of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "needs more time," according to the boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that training intensity were to culprit, pointing to a lack of opportunity for drills. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a major summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not planning to dip into the January transfer market.

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

Looking Ahead

The team suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their lead at the top of the Premier League to two points.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group victory would all but guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth consecutive Champions League fixture.

"We are disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."