Arne Engels and Colby Donovan are both back in training at Lennoxtown, and with the season entering its most critical stretch, the timing of this double return could not be more welcome.
As reported by Celtic Way, both Engels and Donovan have returned to full training, with the club posting pictures and footage from Lennoxtown confirming their involvement alongside the wider squad. Auston Trusty was also spotted in the same session, easing any lingering concerns after he was substituted late in a recent USA friendly. Martin O’Neill now has meaningfully more to work with as we push into the business end of the campaign.
Engels has been sidelined for the best part of two months with a thigh injury – a significant absence for a player who had been one of our most important midfielders before it struck. The 22-year-old Belgian, who joined from Augsburg for £11 million last summer and wears the number 27 shirt, had been a constant presence before the setback, and his absence was felt in both domestic and European fixtures. He is not yet match-ready – you don’t come back from two months out and walk straight into a starting eleven – but seeing him back on the grass at Lennoxtown is a genuinely encouraging sign.
Colby Donovan’s return is equally significant, particularly given the defensive headaches we’ve had to manage in recent weeks. The academy product suffered a knee injury after colliding with an advertising board during our 2-0 defeat to Dundee United a fortnight ago, a blow that also ruled him out of Scotland U21’s double-header against Czechia and Portugal. With Julian Araujo already sidelined through injury and Alistair Johnston still working his way back from the long-term hamstring problem he sustained last year, Donovan’s return gives O’Neill genuine depth at right-back rather than having to paper over the cracks.
The Bigger Picture
Here’s the thing – when you look at the injury picture we’ve been navigating these past couple of months, these two returns feel like more than just squad rotation news. Engels and Donovan have combined for 65 appearances in all competitions this season. These are not fringe players drifting back in; these are key contributors, and their absence has forced O’Neill to shuffle and improvise in ways that have occasionally cost us control of matches.
The right-back situation in particular has been stretched to its limits. Anthony Ralston has been asked to carry a heavy load, and Trusty has been deployed in makeshift roles to plug gaps – which is fine in a pinch, but it’s not sustainable across a title run-in. With Donovan back and Johnston edging closer to a return, that area of the pitch starts to look considerably healthier. You can read more about how our fitness picture has shaped selection heading into the crunch fixtures – it tells you everything about how much these returns matter right now.
The contrast with stories like Jota’s latest setback is stark – for every step forward in one area, there’s been a stumble elsewhere this season. But today is a good day. Two players back on the grass, more options for the manager, and a squad that’s starting to resemble what it should look like at full strength.
Welcome back, Arne. Welcome back, Colby. Take it one session at a time. Mon The Hoops.
