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Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for honors this season is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.

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Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender 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 foot problem.

"Practice, no because we don't have 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 circle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a long list of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to culprit, citing a shortage of time for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.

Transfer Plans

Even after a significant summer investment over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely looking to dip into the January 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 said. "It's clear how important those weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their first loss 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 win would all but guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League fixture.

"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to keep going," he said. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."