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Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's chase for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of injuries and a grueling fixture list.

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Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

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 foot injury.

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

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive list of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Extended Absences

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

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice methods were to blame, pointing to a lack of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a major summer investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is not planning to enter the winter recruitment market.

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

Next Challenge

The team suffered their first loss in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the summit of the league to two clear points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would virtually secure a top-eight finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League match.

"The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to keep going," he stated. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."