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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's pursuit for honors this season is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.

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Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to sickness. 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 striker registered to their European squad. He replaces the hurt 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 placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly vicious cycle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive series of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, 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 knee and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta dismissed the idea that training intensity were to culprit, pointing to a lack of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a significant off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is not planning to enter the winter recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just focusing on getting the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of a short time," he commented. "It's clear how important 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 lead at the top of the Premier League to two clear points.

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

"The team is frustrated with the result, but we have to move forward," he stated. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."