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

Fresh Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their European squad. He comes in for the injured 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 loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long list of injuries for the club. Since the start of last campaign, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," according to the manager.

Arteta rejected the idea that training methods were to blame, citing a lack of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a significant summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking 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 said. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial loss in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the top of the league to two points.

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group win would all but guarantee a knockout phase place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth straight successive European match.

"We are disappointed with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli said. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."