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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's chase for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Squad News

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle problem.

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous circle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a extensive series of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the start of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Extended Absences

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

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice methods were to blame, citing a lack of time for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a major off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely planning to dip into the winter transfer market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would virtually guarantee a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth straight successive European match.

"The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to keep going," he stated. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."