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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's chase for honors this season is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Squad News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle 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 long series of injuries for the club. Since the start of last season, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from knee and "requires more time," according to the manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that training intensity were to culprit, citing a lack of opportunity for drills. He highlighted the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Plans

Despite a major off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely looking to enter the winter recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on getting the players back and hopefully it will be a question of a short time," he said. "We know how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad experienced their initial loss in 18 games 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 consecutive group-stage win would all but secure a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League fixture.

"We are disappointed with the result, but we have to keep going," he said. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."