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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's chase for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of injuries and a grueling fixture list.

Fresh Squad News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to Belgium due to sickness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly vicious cycle."

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

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from knee and "requires more time," according to the manager.

Arteta rejected the idea that training intensity were to blame, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.

Transfer Plans

Even after a major off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely planning to dip into the January recruitment market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their first loss in 18 matches 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 group win would virtually secure a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League match.

"The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to keep going," he said. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."