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Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's chase for titles this season is being threatened by a worrying circle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Squad Update

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to Belgium due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle 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 really dangerous circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long list of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice methods were to blame, citing a shortage of time for drills. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a significant off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is not planning to dip into the January recruitment market.

"Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a question of weeks," he said. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

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

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive European match.

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