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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for titles this season is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Squad News

Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot injury.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous cycle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long list of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta rejected the idea that training methods were to blame, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.

Transfer Plans

Even after a major off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to dip into the winter recruitment market.

"Right now we're just focusing on getting the players back and with luck it will be a matter of weeks," he said. "We know how important those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team experienced their initial defeat in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their lead at the top of the Premier League to two clear points.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would all but guarantee a knockout phase place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth straight successive European match.

"The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."