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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's pursuit for honors this campaign is being threatened by a concerning cycle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

Latest Team Update

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

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker registered to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot injury.

"Practice, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing 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 list of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," according to the boss.

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

Transfer Plans

Even after a significant off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is not planning to dip into the January transfer market.

"Right now we're just focusing on getting the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he said. "We know how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the top of the league to two clear points.

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would all but secure a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth straight successive European fixture.

"We are disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."