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Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's chase for honors this campaign is being threatened by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Squad News

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker registered 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 knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous circle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long list of fitness problems for the North London side. 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 return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "requires more time," according to the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training methods were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Despite a significant summer investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely planning to enter the January transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

The team experienced their first defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the summit of the league to two clear points.

Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group-stage win would all but guarantee a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth successive European fixture.

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