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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's pursuit for titles this season is being threatened by a worrying cycle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the Champions League clash to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle problem.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But obviously 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 truly dangerous circle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.

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 "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that training methods were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not planning to enter the January recruitment market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the top of the league to two points.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would all but guarantee a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth consecutive European match.

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