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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's chase for honors this campaign is being threatened by a concerning circle of injuries and a relentless fixture list.

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Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to Belgium due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous circle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a extensive list of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-highest 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 rehabilitate from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that training intensity were to culprit, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a major off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not planning to dip into the January recruitment market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad experienced their first defeat in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would virtually secure a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth successive European fixture.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."