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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's chase for titles this season is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

Fresh Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker registered to their European squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Practice, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly 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 truly vicious circle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive series of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice intensity were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for drills. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Even after a significant off-season spend over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely looking to dip into the winter transfer market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on getting the players back and with luck it will be a matter of weeks," he said. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their first loss in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the top of the Premier League to two clear points.

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group win would virtually secure a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth consecutive European match.

"The team is frustrated with the result, 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."