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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for honors this season is being threatened by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Team News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek clash to Belgium due to illness. 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 hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot problem.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really vicious cycle."

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

Extended Absences

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

Arteta dismissed the idea that training intensity were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for drills. He highlighted the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a major summer investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely planning to dip into the January recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on getting the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of a short time," he commented. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The squad experienced their first loss in 18 matches at the weekend, reducing their advantage at the top of the league to two clear points.

Focus now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth group win would all but guarantee a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive European match.

"We are disappointed with the result, but we have to keep going," he stated. "This isn't like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."