Martin O’Neill believes Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could help solve Celtic’s midfield problem as the manager prepares to face Motherwell without captain Callum McGregor.
McGregor misses the match with a calf strain, removing the player who usually controls the tempo from the base of midfield. His absence forces Celtic to reshuffle an area that already looks stretched.
Arne Engels might normally step into that role, but the Belgian has only just returned to training after injury. Throwing him straight into a demanding match would be a gamble, especially with several weeks of football still ahead.
Luke McCowan filled the position during the Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox last weekend. He worked hard off the ball but struggled to dictate play when Rangers pressed Celtic in the middle of the pitch.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is another option. The English midfielder started the league meeting with Rangers the previous week but was replaced at half-time after finding the pace of the game difficult. When he came off the bench in the cup tie, though, he looked more comfortable and later scored in the penalty shootout.
O’Neill believes the former Liverpool player can adapt to the deeper role that McGregor normally occupies.
He said: (Daily Record), “Oxlade-Chamberlain could play there. Ole Gunnar Solskjær and played in the no.6 role (at Besiktas).
“Sometimes when you go into that role and stay for a little while, the things you’ve done all your career suddenly seem to take a backseat. But he could easily play Callum’s role, I think, having had that experience.
“Just getting another week’s training in and getting used to it.
“We do an awful lot of tactical work here. He’s a very clever player, but it takes a bit of time to get used to certain positions.
“I know it sounds like football should actually be a bit more simple, but seemingly it’s not these days.
“And he’s having to get used to getting into certain positions that he might not have gone into naturally before.
“He’s very, very self-critical, and he doesn’t have to be.
“I thought he found the pace of the game against Rangers on the previous Sunday was really hectic, and that doesn’t surprise me.
“He just got lost out in the game, hence us taking him off at halftime. But he was still disappointed with himself. As I said, he’s very self-critical.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain has spent most of his career playing further forward. In this role the task is different. The holding midfielder must stay disciplined when Celtic attack and be ready to close space quickly when possession is lost.
That adjustment can take time, especially in a team that plays with a high defensive line. Yet O’Neill’s comments show he sees the intelligence in Oxlade-Chamberlain’s game to learn the position.
With McGregor out and Engels only just back on the training pitch, Celtic may again need a short-term answer in midfield. Oxlade-Chamberlain could be the player asked to fill that gap against Motherwell.
