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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's pursuit for titles this season is being threatened by a worrying circle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Team News

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle 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 really dangerous circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long series of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

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

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to culprit, citing a lack of opportunity for drills. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a major summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is not planning to dip into the winter recruitment market.

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

Looking Ahead

The squad experienced their initial defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group victory would all but guarantee a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth straight successive European match.

"We are disappointed with the result, but we have to keep going," Martinelli said. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."