Celtic head coach Martin O’Neill will have several selection problems to solve ahead of the club’s Scottish Premiership clash with Falkirk at Parkhead on Saturday.
The Northern Irish manager watched his team beat St Mirren 6-2 in the semi-final of the SFA Cup last weekend, but the Hoops needed extra-time to win the game by a four-goal margin.
Kelechi Iheanacho came off the bench to score two goals in extra-time for the Scottish giants, making it three goals in his last three appearances in all competitions.
O’Neill could move Daizen Maeda out to the left flank and drop Sebastian Tounekti from the team in order to unleash the Nigerian centre-forward as the starting striker against Falkirk.
Tounekti is not the only Hoops star who could find themselves on the bench after starting against St Mirren, though, as Arne Engels could also drop to the bench.
Why Celtic could drop Arne Engels against Falkirk
The Belgium international made his first start since the 11th February, when he sustained a thigh injury against Livingston, when he was selected to start against St Mirren at Hampden Park.
Engels looked like a player who had not started a competitive game in over two months as he struggled in the middle of the park, allowing Jacob Devaney and Killian Phillips to win too many of the midfield battles.
The Belgian star may need to be managed carefully between now and the end of the season to ensure that he does not suffer any more muscle injuries off the back of missing so much time with a thigh injury.
|
25/26 Premiership |
Arne Engels |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
25 |
|
Goals |
4 |
|
Big chances created |
5 |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
33% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
50% |
Engels has also struggled at times in the Premiership this season, losing 67% of his ground duels, so dropping him to the bench for this clash with Falkirk may not be much of a blow to O’Neill’s side’s chances of winning the game.
Celtic, of course, need a player to come into the XI after boldly benching the £11m signing from Augsburg, and they have just the man for the job waiting to come in.
The Celtic star who could replace Arne Engels against Falkirk
Alongside Kelechi Iheanacho, O’Neill could unleash another star who arrived at the club as a free agent with plenty of experience in the Premier League.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain signed for the club in February, just as Iheanacho joined on a free transfer in September, and he could come in to replace Engels against Falkirk.
In the 1-0 win over St Mirren in the last Premiership match, the former England international caught the eye by scoring the winning goal of the game, finishing coolly into the bottom corner with his weaker left foot.
On top of scoring the winning goal in the game, the former Arsenal and Liverpool star also only lost possession five times in 73 minutes, by completing 94% of his attempted passes.
|
Vs St Mirren |
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain |
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
73 |
|
Goal |
1 |
|
Key passes |
2 |
|
Pass accuracy |
94% |
|
Possession lost |
5x |
|
Duels won |
2/3 |
|
Dribbled past |
0x |
Oxlade-Chamberlain was reliable in and out of possession in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants, and the same could not be said for Engels in the league this season, as he only won 33% of his ground duels.
The 32-year-old veteran midfielder has scored twice in five league starts for the Hoops since his free transfer to Parkhead, which is as many open play goals as Engels has managed in 25 outings.
Oxlade-Chamberlain appears to be the better option for Celtic ahead of this clash with Falkirk, because of his play on and off the ball, which is why he should come back into the side.
However, it is also a matter of protecting Engels from any further injury setbacks, particularly ahead of the World Cup, to ensure that he does not miss any further games with muscle issues.
Celtic hit the jackpot when they snapped Oxlade-Chamberlain up on a free transfer because he has become a valuable member of the squad, just as Iheanacho has with his recent goals after his free transfer last year.
Both players are proof that there are bargains to be had in the free agent pool and it is a market that the board may look to exploit once again in the upcoming summer transfer window, as players begin to run down their contracts.
Celtic eyeing summer move for Motherwell star crowned the best in the league
He was named the best in the Premiership.
