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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's chase for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward added to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But obviously 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 truly vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive series of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that training intensity were to culprit, citing a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Plans

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

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

Next Challenge

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

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group victory would virtually secure a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth consecutive European match.

"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "It's not like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."