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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's chase for honors this season is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Latest Team Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

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

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive list of injuries for the North London side. Since the start 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 not expected to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training methods were to blame, pointing to a lack of opportunity for drills. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Transfer Plans

Despite a significant summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not planning to dip into the January transfer 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. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

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

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually secure a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League match.

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