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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's chase for titles this season is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

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Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker registered to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot injury.

"Practice, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly dangerous circle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive series of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Long-Term Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training intensity were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Despite a significant off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely looking to enter the winter recruitment market.

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

Looking Ahead

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

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive European match.

"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," he said. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."