🔗 Share this article

Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Squad Update

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence 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 start of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-highest total in the English top flight.

Long-Term Absentees

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that training intensity were to culprit, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Recruitment Strategy

Even after a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not planning to dip into the January transfer 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 commented. "We know how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their advantage at the top of the league to two clear points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would virtually secure a top-eight finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth consecutive European match.

"The team is frustrated with the result, but we have to move forward," he said. "This isn't like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."