🔗 Share this article Arteta Fears Injury Crisis Could Hinder The Gunners' Trophy Quest Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for titles this season is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list. Fresh Team Update Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable. There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle 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 issue is the most recent in a extensive list of injuries for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-most total in the Premier League. Long-Term Absences Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year. Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the manager. Arteta rejected the suggestion that training methods were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons. Recruitment Strategy Despite a significant summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is unlikely looking to enter the January transfer market. "Right now we're just focusing on getting the players back and with luck it will be a question of weeks," he commented. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be." Next Challenge The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their advantage at the top of the league to two clear points. Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would all but secure a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth consecutive European match. "The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," he stated. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."