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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's chase for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.

Fresh Team News

Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker registered to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot injury.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a extensive series of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training methods were to culprit, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the pressure on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a significant off-season spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely planning to dip into the winter transfer market.

"At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a matter of weeks," he commented. "We know how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The team experienced their first loss in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Focus now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would virtually secure a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive European match.

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