Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has revealed that Arne Engels did not want to play in the club’s UEFA Champions League Play-Off against LASK.The Belgian Internationalist completed a £22m deal to sign for English side West Ham United. Speaking ahead of the game against the Linz club, O’Neill confirmed that a fear of picking up an injury led to Engels pushing through the move.
Celtic go into the game looking light in midfield given Engels departure. Mika Baur bolsters the ranks but with Oxlade-Chamberlain suspended and Hatate out of the picture, that leaves just Callum McGregor, Benji Nygren and Luke McCowan alongside the German U21 Internationalist. The hope is that Celtic can strike deals in the remainder of the window to improve their options and depth in the middle of the park but it feels like a risk given the importance of this fixture.
“Arne wanted to go. He didn’t want to play in the matches in case he got injured.
“I said that was understandable, this is a move that he wanted to make.
“But for the football club, yeah it’s disappointing.
Arne Engels is unveiled as a West Ham player. Photo West Ham United
“Just at this moment he’s hard to replace in the side, that sort of running power that he has.
“Even for these two games, that’s disappointing but it is what it is and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Engels made 100 appearances for Celtic, scoring 17 goals and assisting on 22 occasions. The Belgian scored the vital equalising penalty against Hearts on the final day last season as he helped MON’s team to a famous title. His return to action coincided with Celtic finding a purple patch in their form, which helped the Scottish Champions retain their title.
Celtic supporters have been impressed with the quality of the club’s summer arrivals as Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran, Mika Baur and Haissem Hassan have all arrived. However, the lack of at least one more midfielder leaves Celtic appearing light and an injury away from relying on Hatate from the cold.