During Celtic's 2-1 win over Livingston at Celtic Park, Arne Engels was forced off through injury. The midfielder has been a constant for the Celts this season, and now, manager Martin O'Neill has given an update on the injury.
O'Neill said to Celtic TV:
"I don't know what it is. It might be a thigh. I'm not sure.
I haven't had a chance to speak to the medical team yet about that there. But it is a problem for us, you know, because Engels is, and has been, a very, very good player for us."
Shaun Maloney also provided an update to Sky Sports, but didn't give a definitive answer. He said:
"It’s still a bit soon [to say how long he'll be out]. That’s a shame. I think Arne has been a standout for us since we’ve come back. Hopefully, Arne’s not too long."
A big hit for Celtic if the Belgian will be out for some time, especially with a massive fixture run coming up that could define the season.
Engels is incredibly important to Celtic
This season, Engels has often been scrutinised by fans despite being one of the most important players in the squad. He controls the midfield alongside Callum McGregor, and although they both have been caught out at times due to our midfield three turning into a midfield two, with Benjamin Nygren moving further up the pitch, he is still a key player in the centre of the park.
With four goals and two assists this season, he has also created five big chances for the Celts. Statistically, he is within the list of Celtic's top ten players this season, showing how well he has actually been doing.
Due to the injury, the midfielder could potentially miss out on massive games against Kilmarnock, Aberdeen and Rangers. With the Gers dropping points against Motherwell thanks to a late equaliser from Stephen Welsh, O'Neill has the perfect chance to catch up to the Jambos in the top spot. Every game that Celtic partake in now is a cup final if they want to win the title, so we really need our best players available.
Some would argue with considering Engels one of Celtic's best players, but it's true. You don't attract a £25 million bid from the Premier League unless you have something about you. If we can keep him going into next season, then he'll be an even bigger player for us as he develops.
It's important to remember that Engels is only 22 years old. We aren't talking about a player who is on their last legs, but one who has his whole career ahead of him. He has buckets of potential that he can still bring to the surface, and we can only hope that he can do that in a Celtic shirt.