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

Fresh Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Practice, 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 really vicious cycle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long list of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "needs more time," according to the manager.

Arteta rejected the idea that training intensity were to blame, citing a shortage of time for sessions. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Strategy

Despite a significant off-season spend over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to enter the January recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just focusing on getting the players back and with luck it will be a matter of weeks," he said. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

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

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would all but secure a top-eight finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.

"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," he said. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."