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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's pursuit for titles this campaign is being threatened by a concerning circle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Team News

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

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their European squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long list of injuries for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice intensity were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a significant off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is not looking to enter the January transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

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

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage win would all but secure a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League match.

"We are disappointed with the result, but we have to move forward," he stated. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."