Celtic midfielder Arne Engels enjoyed a positive display against Dundee in midweek as he looks to cement a starting slot under Brendan Rodgers amid competition for places in the engine room.
The Belgium international was drafted back in after being rested in the Bhoys’ victory at Motherwell last week, featuring alongside Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo at Parkhead.
With Alistair Johnston opening the scoring on the night, Kyogo Furuhashi was fouled by Antonio Portales moments later, enabling Arne Engels to slot home against Dundee from the spot to cap an impressive display.
Proving his point somewhat, the manager now has a debate surrounding who will feature in his midfield three, not only tomorrow against Aberdeen but over a hectic run of fixtures over the next few weeks.
Now, James McFadden has delivered his verdict on where he sees Engels in the Celtic midfield amid recent developments.
James McFadden’s verdict on Celtic midfielder Arne Engels
Speaking on Open Goal, McFadden believes Luke McCowan’s emergence in the Celtic midfield may complicate matters for Engels somewhat but still thinks Rodgers is likely to pick the Belgian in big matches amid his £11 million price tag.
He explained: “I think McCowan’s come into the team and done really well, he’s waited for his chance and he’s got it, keep him in. It would (be a big call to leave Engels out, but he’s a young player as well, you can’t give him a game all the time.”
“The thing is, obviously, the price tag. Obviously, people say don’t worry about the price tag; he’s a young player.
“It’s a semi-final, so he’s one of them as well where he’ll (Rodgers will) think ‘I’ve spent a fortune on him’, I need to play him in the big games.”
On a sidenote, McCowan is cup-tied for Celtic against Aberdeen due to his earlier involvement in the competition against Dundee, which should be taken into account.
Arne Engels continues to make an impression at Celtic
While his sizeable fee is likely to alter perceptions somewhat, Engels has made a fine early impression at Celtic despite unwarranted criticism from some quarters.
Ultimately, he is 21 and hasn’t broken 100 senior appearances yet across his fleeting career, yet is a fully-fledged Belgium international that warranted double-figures being spent on him in the summer.
Three goals and three assists in 11 fixtures is a promising beginning for the Dendermonde-born man, who will be determined to keep thriving under Brendan Rodgers.
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