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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's chase for titles this season is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle problem.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous circle."

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

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," according to the boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that training intensity were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Despite a significant off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is not looking to dip into the January transfer market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating 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 team suffered their first defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would virtually guarantee a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth successive European match.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," he said. "It's not like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."