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

Latest Team Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Practice, 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 really vicious cycle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a extensive series of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, 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 knee and "requires more time," according to the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice intensity were to blame, citing a lack of time for drills. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a significant off-season spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely looking to dip into the January recruitment market.

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

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial loss in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the summit of the league to two points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group win would virtually secure a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League match.

"We are frustrated with the result, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."