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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for titles this season is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling fixture list.

Latest Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to Belgium due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their European squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle problem.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly vicious cycle."

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

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that training intensity were to blame, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a significant off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely looking to enter the winter transfer market.

"Right now we're just concentrating on getting the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he commented. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The squad experienced their first defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group win would all but guarantee a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth straight successive European match.

"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli said. "This isn't like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."