Arne Engels could solve Celtic’s midfield frustrations

Opinions on the young Belgian midfielder remain divided, but against Hibs, there were signs that Engels might be beginning to find his place in Brendan Rodgers’ evolving midfield.

The Celtic boss commented on Engels prior to the game with Hibs at the weekend on BBC Scotland’s Sportsound. Some have viewed it as a sign Engels is viewed more as a squad player at present. But another way of looking at the manager’s comments is to consider Rodgers may be laying down a challenge for Engels, who appears to have dropped behind Benjamin Nygren in the midfield pecking order, mostly due to the Swede’s greater goals threat.

“Arne’s role in the squad is very, very important. I don’t think there are too many players, if any, that will cement their place in the team. But, of course, it’s one where Benji has played in front of him this season, more because of his goal threat.

“We lost goals out of our team. A lot of goals. And Arne hasn’t scored as many goals as, say, what Nygren has done in his career. He is a player who affects, creates goals and scores goals. So, for Arne, he just needs to continue what he is doing and provide the goal threat. He works hard. He gives us other qualities that we need within our squad.”

Central midfield has been a topic of constant debate this season. Rodgers has generally settled on a trio of Callum McGregor at the base, with Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren operating as the more advanced No.8s. But injuries and rotational tweaks opened the door for something different at the weekend. With Hatate unavailable, Rodgers deployed Luke McCowan alongside Engels ahead of McGregor, and the balance looked quietly promising.

McCowan, occupying Hatate’s usual left-sided role, brought creativity and composure. Unlike Hatate, whose responsibilities have expanded this season to accommodate Kieran Tierney’s arrival, and the loss of Greg Taylor’s inverted full-back contributions, McCowan’s brief was simpler, focus on linking play and supplying the attack. He executed it well, offering a steady stream of forward passes and intelligent movement.

But it was Engels who provided the afternoon’s most intriguing subplot. Tasked with more defensive responsibility than McCowan, the Belgian impressed with his athleticism, positional awareness, and range of passing. His presence not only protected McGregor but also seemed to liberate the Celtic captain. For the first time in weeks, McGregor was able to venture forward more frequently, reminding everyone of his quality as a creative force.

The performance also raised an important question, is there now a case to give Engels an extended run, even when options return?

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