🔗 Share this article Mikel Arteta Warns Fitness Crisis Could Hinder The Gunners' Trophy Quest Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his team's chase for honors this season is being threatened by a worrying cycle of injuries and a relentless schedule. Latest Squad Update Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain on the sidelines. There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot problem. "Training, no because we don't have time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly vicious cycle." Dowman's issue 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-most total in the Premier League. Extended Absences Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until 2025. Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "needs more time," according to the boss. Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to blame, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years. Recruitment Strategy Despite a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not planning to enter the January transfer market. "Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he said. "We know how crucial those weeks are going to be." Next Challenge The team experienced their initial defeat in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the top of the Premier League to two points. Attention now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group win would virtually secure a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth consecutive Champions League match. "The team is frustrated with the result, but we have to keep going," he stated. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."