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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's chase for titles this campaign is being threatened by a concerning cycle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Squad News

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

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are loading 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 extensive series of injuries for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absentees

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

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training intensity were to culprit, citing a lack of time for drills. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a major summer 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 hopefully it will be a matter of weeks," he said. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their advantage at the top of the Premier League to two clear points.

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

"We are frustrated with the result, but we have to keep going," he stated. "This isn't like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."