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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's chase for honors this season is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of injuries and a grueling fixture list.

Fresh Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek clash to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot problem.

"Training, 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 dangerous cycle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "needs more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that training 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 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a significant summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not looking to enter the January recruitment market.

"Right now we're just concentrating on getting the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of a short time," he commented. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team experienced their first loss in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their advantage at the top of the Premier League to two points.

Focus now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would all but secure a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth straight successive European fixture.

"The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to move forward," he said. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."