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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's pursuit for titles this season is being threatened by a concerning cycle of injuries and a grueling fixture list.

Fresh Squad Update

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

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward added to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot injury.

"Practice, 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 issue is the latest in a long list of injuries for the club. Since the start 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 not expected to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from knee and "requires more time," according to the manager.

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

Transfer Strategy

Even after a significant summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely looking to enter the January recruitment 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 commented. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

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

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."