Sutton names the only game changer for O’Neill to turn to

Engels made his comeback as a sub seven days ago after a couple of months out and there is now a huge opportunity for him to make a real impact at a critical time in the campaign for the Hoops.

The Belgian might not be everyone’s cup of tea but he has the fitness and energy to get around people and make runs, as well as having ability on the ball. Reo Hatate is one who has dropped out the starting line-up recently and, despite some fleeting moments, I don’t feel he has grasped the nettle.

His second-half performance against Rangers at Ibrox at the beginning of last month – when he helped turn the game then scored an equaliser – suggested that he might just be a senior figure who could seize the responsibility and drag his team onwards.

But he has not kicked on and Celtic are back to square one looking for someone to be the main assistance to McGregor.

Engels is a strong runner and, playing in a team which is struggling to score goals from open play, his dead-ball delivery can be a big asset.

O’Neill spoke recently about the fact the Belgian needs to add some more goals to his game to really go to the next level. All the motivations are there for him to step back into that starting line-up and show himself as worthy of being the club’s record buy.

I’ve barely seen a Celtic midfielder run beyond a striker in months. Even when I was playing in a struggling Blackburn Rovers team we had boys who would get up in support. The likes of Tim Sherwood and Garry Flitcroft would bust a gut to join me, Kevin Gallacher would be racing in from a side.

At the moment, that shift for Celtic’s sole frontman is thankless and Engels can help drive the midfield into more positive positions.

All eyes will be on the team-sheet at Hampden tomorrow to see if Engels is included.

Thirty minutes last Saturday followed by a full week of training should be enough for a 22-year-old to be ready to start against St Mirren.

In an ideal world with a midfield trio on top of their form Engels could probably be left on the bench but none of those conditions apply to Celtic.

It is unlikely that McGregor or Oxlade-Chamberlain have 90 minutes in them. The match could go to extra-time.

Not so long ago Celtic playing a bottom six side at Hampden in a semi-final would be looked on as something of a formality.

Nothing at Celtic is currently a formality. Single goal wins over St Mirren and Dundee followed a 2-0 defeat away to Dundee United.

There is a lot of expectation on Engels with the prospect of a double success still alive in a season where virtually nothing has gone right.

Everything at Celtic is game by game at the moment. A final place at tea-time on Sunday will extend the season on until May 23.