With Hatate sidelined, Rodgers has the rare opportunity to experiment. One potential configuration would see Engels move to the right of the midfield three, with Nygren shifted to the left-sided No.8 role. Such a setup could maintain defensive balance while adding technical quality on both sides of Celtic’s attacking midfield options.
Benjamin Nygren at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
The benefits of this adjustment would not end with open play. Celtic’s goal and assist threat has diminished markedly following the departures of Kyogo, Nicolas Kühn, and Adam Idah, alongside Jota’s long term injury absence. Engels’ right-footed delivery, paired with Nygren’s left, would provide Rodgers with two natural dead-ball specialists capable of mixing up corner and free-kick routines. In a team that has struggled to find consistent goals from open play, that variety could be invaluable, as could having a consistent penalty taker in the team from the first whistle.
Arne Engels with Don Robertson. theRangers v Celtic,31 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
Of course, this proposal comes with trade-offs. McCowan, who performed admirably against Hibs, would likely be the player to make way. While the former Dundee man rarely disappoints, he has yet to fully convince Rodgers that he can influence the highest-level fixtures, European nights or matches against theRangers, for example.
As a squad player, McCowan offers depth and creativity, but Engels may possess the physical profile and passing range to make a more decisive impact in such high-stakes encounters.
The midfield debate will not be settled by one game, nor by one tactical shuffle. But Saturday’s performance offered a glimpse of what Celtic’s engine room might look like with Engels given greater responsibility. His presence seemed to bring the best out of McGregor while adding defensive steel and set-piece quality, two areas that have been under scrutiny this season.
Reo Hatate of Celtic Crvena zvezda v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Football, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – 24 Sep 2025Belgrade Rajko Mitic Stadium Serbia Photo Nikola Krstic Shutterstock
With Hatate’s absence creating space for experimentation, Rodgers has an opportunity to test a new combination, McGregor at the base, Engels on the right, and Nygren on the left, with room arguably for both to interchange during the game as they did on Saturday. It may not be a permanent solution, but if it provides balance, physicality, and attacking variety, it could become a valuable blueprint, one that helps Celtic navigate both domestic challenges and the rigours of Europe.
For now, Engels remains a work in progress, which is no surprise given his age, but his display against Hibs hinted at what many believe, he has an abundance of untapped potential. Perhaps then it’s time to look beyond first impressions and consider whether the Belgian might be more than just a squad player this season.
In a campaign where midfield balance has perhaps been elusive, Arne Engels might just be the piece that finally brings Celtic’s puzzle together.
Niall J
Arne Engles could solve Celtic’s midfield frustrations……..
By handing in a transfer request.
The midfields needing fresh input .it’s stale slow and hard to watch Hatate just gives the ball away a shadow of the player he was under Ange ,Ingles seems to be everyones new whipping boy and fk knows why the petulant one hasn’t gave him a full run in the team
we have the players ,we also have a useless manager who plays the one way never changes the system never has a plan b ,we’ve went back the way , every manager has his number even jim Goodwin had it
yet still folk think he’s Elite
On Thursday, it remains unclear as to who will be given the starting position for Hatate.
McCowan still doesn’t seem to be trusted in the bigger games as such, especially at European level.
Calmac would be the natural choice imo, but he remains unmovable in his role, not unless a game is won easily.
So potentially Paulo would be favourite, even if I think it actually might work better for ourselves, if calmac and Paulo swapped roles imo?
The midfield areas haven’t functioned as well as I would like for considerable amount of time.
Especially with a 3 who can be man marked to easily, especially against the back to the wall teams. So in turn having to rely on the full backs, to try and create the overloads from deeper with less space to operate within.
As much as I wouldn’t complain about having 2 options available now, for each role within the midfield areas. Still not convinced that it function as well within the structure of our team set up, and style of play so focused upon a possession game imo?
It’s common enough nowadays to have a 5/5 split between defensive and attacking main roles within a team.
Dont believe we need to be set up in such a way, within so many of our SPFL matches imo.
We still don’t seem to interested in getting runners from our midfield areas, along with getting shots on target from distance, to try and draw a defensive set up, out of position more so, than able to block shots to easily.
As we don’t offer to much differently, then a high decency is relied upon scoring the first goal to try and change the course of a game. Hardly helped by ourselves still quite venerable from set plays.
So the structure of our team, along with the game plans involved, will determine who actually gets the starting position. To predictable for my liking, that stems beyond just the midfield areas also imo.
Still have a look about ourselves, that we are still searching for the right combinations within the team at present, which I would say was a waste of a pre season, when you would expect the likes to have been in operation better than what we have seen to date.
Moreso in the midfield areas, where the blame of the transfer window wasn’t in existence, and still not functioning as well as expected either imo