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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's chase for honors this season is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

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Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the injured 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 missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really vicious cycle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long list of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from knee and "requires more time," according to the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice intensity were to blame, citing a lack of opportunity for drills. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Even after a major off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is not looking to dip into the January recruitment 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 coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial loss in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage victory would virtually secure a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth consecutive European match.

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