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

Fresh Squad News

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to Belgium due to sickness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly vicious cycle."

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

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "requires more time," according to the boss.

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to blame, citing a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a significant off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the club is not looking to enter the winter transfer market.

"Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he said. "We know how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The team suffered their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.

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

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