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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for honors this season is being threatened by a worrying cycle of injuries and a grueling fixture list.

Latest Team Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But obviously 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 really vicious cycle."

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

Extended Absences

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

Arteta rejected the idea that training methods were to culprit, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Despite a major off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is unlikely planning to dip into the winter transfer market.

"Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a question of weeks," he said. "We know how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

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

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage victory would virtually secure a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth successive European match.

"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."