🔗 Share this article Arteta Warns Injury Woes Could Hinder The Gunners' Trophy Hunt Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for titles this campaign is being threatened by a concerning circle of injuries and a relentless fixture list. Latest Team News Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines. There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up 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 consequence to that and it's a truly vicious cycle." Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive list of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League. Long-Term Absences Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until 2025. Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "requires more time," according to the manager. Arteta dismissed the idea that training methods were to blame, 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 years. Recruitment Plans Even after a significant off-season spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not planning to enter the January recruitment market. "At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a question of weeks," he commented. "It's clear how crucial those coming weeks are going to be." Looking Ahead The squad suffered their initial loss in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the top of the Premier League to two clear points. Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group win would virtually secure a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive European fixture. "The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."