Martin O’Neill has revealed Arne Engels did not want to play for Celtic before his £22 million move to West Ham over fears of an injury jeopardising the transfer.
The midfielder’s departure leaves Celtic without one of their most energetic options ahead of the Champions League qualifier against LASK.
O’Neill admitted frustration at the timing but understood Engels’ position. The Celtic boss said: "Of course it is a disappointment. Arne wanted to go.
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"He didn’t want to play in the matches in case he got injured. That was understandable. But for the football club, that’s a disappointment because at this moment, he’s hard to replace with the running power he has."
"It is what it is, but there’s nothing we can do about it."
Celtic had hoped Engels could feature in the LASK double-header, which presents a potential £40 million windfall for the victors.
Instead, O’Neill must prepare for the European showdown without the Belgian, as the club continues its search for replacements before the transfer window closes.
