Arne Engels can deliver much needed energy boost to Celtic midfield

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The Celtic Star

·19 April 2026

Arne Engels can deliver much needed energy boost to Celtic midfield

The return of Arne Engels to full fitness could be just what the doctor ordered with regard to Celtic’s midfield worries which were all too apparent in the 1-0 win over St Mirren at Celtic Park last weekend…

Arne Engels of Celtic has a shot on goal. Celtic v Livingston, Scottish Premiership, 11 Feb rural 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO Shutterstock

Martin O’Neill started with Callum McGregor, carrying an injury but insisting in player, another veteran in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who got the only goal of the match and Benjamin Nygren who despite his notable goalscoring contributions in his debut season, seems to offer very little else to this Celtic team. It’s clearly the Sweden international’s goals that are keeping him in a Celtic side which has a handful of strikers in the squad who have got nowhere near double figures all season.

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That problem seems to be affecting the middle of the park and a solution needs to be found this afternoon at Hampden as Celtic once again take on St Mirren in the second Scottish Cup semi-final with the the winners going forward to face Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic in the final on Saturday 23 May.

Writing in his weekly newspaper column this weekend former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has been looking at possible solutions to this problem and reckons that the real difference maker for Celtic could turn out to be record signing Arne Engels who returned to the team last weekend for the closing stages after two months on the sidelines.

Sutton reckons that the Belgium international, who will be looking for a late season burst of form to force his way into Belgian World Cup squad, can provide something that the Celtic midfield is clearly lacking – ENERGY.

“Nottingham Forest wanted to shell out £25million for Arne Engels just over two months ago,” Sutton noted in his Daily Record column. “The fact bids from the City Ground were rejected puzzled a number of Celtic fans who still feel the Belgian hasn’t really justified a purchase price of less than half that figure.

“But this feels like a huge chance for Engels to silence his doubters and fully make good on the £11 million paid out for him because he has something which could prove to be priceless for Martin O’Neill in the coming five weeks. Energy.

“The midfielder has legs and running power in the engine room and that is something Celtic are struggling badly with at the moment,” Sutton stated.

Arne Engels – theRangers v Celtic,31 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“Listen, Engels isn’t the answer to every issue at my old club and it’s certainly unfair for anyone to expect him to be so. He’s a footballer, not a magician. You do also find some players become better or more popular in the eyes of supporters and even pundits when they are not actually playing.

“But looking at Celtic right now, I see them lacking something that Engels possesses in abundance and that’s athleticism. Among the numerous problems O’Neill has with this current squad, legs in the middle of the park have been lacking.

Celtic Manager Martin O’Neill reacts during the Scottish Premiership between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on April 11, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

“The manager spoke about a lack of energy against St Mirren last weekend and he was bang on. At best, it was lethargic. At worst, in the second half, utterly lifeless. Celtic started well enough in the game yet after half-time I could barely believe my eyes. The Buddies were popping the ball around the home team and O’Neill’s boys couldn’t get close to them,” Sutton noted.

Callum McGregor playing while carrying an injury

Callum McGregor of Celtic reacts during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on February 01, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“There’s plenty being said about Callum McGregor and the fact he is playing through the injury barrier. He’s a superb player so I’m not going to criticise. As I said about Kasper Schmeichel, there comes a time when you have to put your hands up if you playing is a negative on the team due to a lack of fitness. And I firmly believe the captain would be the first to say if he felt he was being unhelpful.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scores Celtic’s opening goal during the Scottish Premiership between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on April 11, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

“Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a lovely footballer with gifted touches but, at this stage of his career, he’s not going to be charging around. Benjamin Nygren floats around without real incision or bite around the ball when his team do not have it.

“It was noteworthy that none of them managed to get through the entire 90 minutes last weekend and that tells you plenty, especially given the lack of options for the manager at the moment. There just didn’t seem any fizz around Celtic against Saints and it’s not going to get easier against the Paisley side in the vast expanse of Hampden in tomorrow’s Scottish Cup semi,” Sutton warned.

“Engels made his comeback as a sub seven days ago after a couple of months out and there is now a huge opportunity for him to make a real impact at a critical time in the campaign for the Hoops. The Belgian might not be everyone’s cup of tea but he has the fitness and energy to get around people and make runs, as well as having ability on the ball.

“Reo Hatate is one who has dropped out the starting line-up recently and, despite some fleeting moments, I don’t feel he has grasped the nettle.

Reo Hatate scores at Ibrox in the penalty shoot-out. Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

“His second-half performance against Rangers at Ibrox at the beginning of last month – when he helped turn the game then scored an equaliser – suggested that he might just be a senior figure who could seize the responsibility and drag his team onwards. But he has not kicked on and Celtic are back to square one looking for someone to be the main assistance to McGregor.”

Arne Engels of St Celtic in action against Celtic during the Scottish Premiership between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on April 11, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

“Engels is a strong runner and, playing in a team which is struggling to score goals from open play, his dead-ball delivery can be a big asset. O’Neill spoke recently about the fact the Belgian needs to add some more goals to his game to really go to the next level. All the motivations are there for him to step back into that starting line-up and show himself as worthy of being the club’s record buy,” Sutton stated.

Arne Engels starting today would be most welcome, as indeed would Reo Hatate and these two alongside the Celtic captain Callum McGregor – IF he’s fit enough to play – is possibly the best midfield three to give us the chance to win today and to go onto take the two trophies on offer.

Benjamin Nygren of Celtic makes a pass during the Scottish Premiership between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on April 11, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

If Benjamin Nygren does nothing much other than score goals then play him as the nine.

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