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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's pursuit for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Latest Team Update

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"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 cycle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive series 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 Premier League.

Long-Term Absences

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

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to blame, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.

Transfer Plans

Despite a major off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely planning to dip into the January transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial loss in 18 matches at the weekend, reducing their advantage at the top of the league to two clear points.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive European fixture.

"The team is 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 stick together."