🔗 Share this article

Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for honors this season is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Squad News

Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to Belgium due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

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

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous cycle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive list of injuries for the club. Since the start of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-most 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 surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that practice intensity were to culprit, pointing to a lack of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a major summer investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is not planning to enter the winter recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just focusing on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of a short time," he said. "We know how important those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the summit of the league to two points.

Focus now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would virtually guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.

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