Martin O’Neill has confirmed that Celtic will be without Arne Engels until the March international break at least.
Engels was withdrawn in the first half of Celtic’s dramatic win over Livingston, being replaced by Reo Hatate after 32 minutes.
The midfielder has been a key player since O’Neill’s return, establishing himself in the first-choice midfield alongside Callum McGregor and Benjamin Nygren.
Of course, Nottingham Forest had a £25 million bid rejected for Engels on Deadline Day, with the Hoops simply not in a position to entertain a sale.
But we will now get a taste of what life would’ve been like without the Belgian over the coming months.
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Martin O’Neill confirms Arne Engels injury for Celtic
Engels was seen to be holding his calf when he went to ground in Wednesday’s game, quickly being withdrawn from the action.
Hoops assistant Shaun Maloney refused to confirm a timeline on Thursday, simply saying that he hoped the player wouldn’t be out for ‘too long’.
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But speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Celtic’s clash with Kilmarnock on Sunday, O’Neill confirmed that Engels will be out for the foreseeable.
He said: “Yeah, I can’t see him being back before, let’s say, the international window – which will be at the end of March, I think.
Hatate is being questioned for a perceived drop in his standard of performance, but his importance to the team will now be amplified over the coming weeks.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s arrival will also help Celtic in dealing with the absence of Engels, though only domestically.
The Englishman was not registered for Celtic’s upcoming Europa League tie against Stuttgart, leaving midfield options threadbare for the tie.
Not good news at all… but here’s hoping that no more major injuries occur as the Scottish title race continues.
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