Martin O’Neill rang the changes to his Celtic side ahead of Dundee’s trip to Parkhead in the Scottish Cup, but the biggest talking point was the complete absence of Arne Engels from both the starting XI and the matchday squad.
The Belgian midfielder’s omission raised eyebrows, especially coming just days after Celtic turned down major offers from Nottingham Forest — one reportedly worth £25 million.
Speculation quickly followed, with some suggesting Engels may have been frustrated after the bids were rejected.
However, O’Neill moved to shut down that narrative. Speaking to Premier Sports, the Celtic boss insisted there was no issue behind the scenes and described the decision as part of a broader squad rotation strategy.
According to O’Neill, the club-record signing is in a good place, with his absence purely down to managing workloads during a hectic run of fixtures.
The manager stressed that Celtic face a demanding schedule between now and the end of the campaign, making rotation essential.
Celtic’s postponed midweek clash with Aberdeen may have given the squad a short breather, but it also adds to an already packed calendar, particularly with the Europa League resuming soon.
Add in the final international break in March, and O’Neill is clearly planning carefully to keep his key players fresh.
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