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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's pursuit for titles this season is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling fixture list.

Fresh Team News

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League clash to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

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

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice intensity were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.

Transfer Plans

Despite a significant off-season spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not looking to enter the January transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the top of the league to two clear points.

Focus now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth group-stage win would all but secure a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive European match.

"The team is frustrated with the result, but we have to keep going," he said. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."