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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

Fresh Team News

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Training, 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 really dangerous cycle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a long list of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "needs more time," according to the manager.

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

Transfer Plans

Despite a significant off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely planning to dip into the January transfer market.

"Right now we're just focusing on getting the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he said. "We know how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team experienced their initial defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the top of the league to two clear points.

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

"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," he stated. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."