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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for titles this season is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Latest Squad News

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to Belgium due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Practice, 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 knock-on effect to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."

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

Extended Absentees

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

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training methods were to culprit, citing a shortage of opportunity for drills. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a major off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to dip into the January transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their initial loss in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the top of the league to two points.

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would all but secure a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth successive European fixture.

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