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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's pursuit for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

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Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot injury.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly dangerous circle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta rejected the idea that training intensity were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of time for drills. He highlighted the pressure on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely planning to enter the winter recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just focusing on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of weeks," he said. "We know how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

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

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would virtually secure a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League match.

"The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."