TALK about second half substitutions making an impact.

Celtic were a goal down to Club Brugge at Parkhead on Wednesday night and struggling to get back into the Champions League league phase match when Brendan Rodgers made a double change.

He removed left-back Greg Taylor and midfielder Arne Engels, who had both been far from their best in the meeting with the Belgian champions, and put on Alex Valle and Paulo Bernardo in their place on the hour mark.

Within a minute, the Scottish champions were, courtesy of a sublime strike from winger Daizen Maeda, back on level terms. The home side were visibly lifted by the goal, which very much came against the run of play, and they dominated thereafter.

Celtic created numerous chances in the final third after the equaliser and could, if their final ball had been a little bit better, have snatched a win which increased their chances of finishing in the top 24 of the table and going through to the knockout round play-offs greatly.

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All is not lost. Far from it. They are still headily placed going into their final three games against Dinamo Zagreb away, Young Boys at home and then Aston Villa away. Their supporters remain if not confident then certainly optimistic.

However, if Celtic are to progress to the next stage of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since way back in 2012 and only the fourth occasion in their history this season Rodgers needs to drop Engels and start Bernardo.

The Belgian internationalist has shown glimpses of why the Glasgow club were prepared to break their record transfer fee and pay Augsburg a cool £11m for him on the final day of the summer transfer window back in August since he arrived.

When he first came to this country, the 21-year-old looked like an intelligent footballer with great technical ability who had a fantastic delivery and ferocious shot and possessed a real presence on the pitch. His performances of late, though, have been underwhelming. He was anonymous against his boyhood club Brugge last night.

(Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire) Johan Mjallby, the former Celtic centre-half and assistant manager, was performing punditry duties for host broadcaster TNT Sports along with his old mucker Neil Lennon and he was far from impressed with what he witnessed.

“Maybe I'm being a bit unfair as he's only 21,” said the ex-Sweden internationalist. “But Arne Engels didn't really attack much or get into the game. So that was disappointing for me." Big Johan was not the only one inside the ground who felt he could have offered more.

Nor, to be fair to him, was he the only member of his team who failed to reach the required level. His vastly-experienced captain Callum McGregor was not a whole lot better.

Auston Trusty revealed after full-time that the Celtic dressing room had been a “p****d off” place following the final whistle. They had good reason to be angry with themselves. Collectively, they failed to scale the heights they had against Slovan Bratislava or RB Leipzig.

Engels started and played his part in both of those Champions League victories. But it is time for Rodgers to take him off the front line and give Bernardo the chance to show what he is capable of against top class continental opposition.

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The Portuguese midfielder was arguably his side’s outstanding performer in their 3-0 victory over Rangers at Parkhead in the William Hill Premiership at Parkhead back at the start of September. The £3.4m capture from Benfica would be entitled to feel aggrieved at not featuring on a weekly basis. 

Engels, it should be remembered, only turned 21 in September. He needs a little time to find his feet in a foreign country, integrate himself into a new club and different culture, settle into his new surroundings and adapt to a different system and style of football. When he does so, he will justify his considerable fee.

You do not force your way into the Belgium squad at the age of just 20 without having a bit about you. It should not be forgotten, too, that he is new to the Champions League. It is quite a step up in standard.

But Celtic can ill afford to play an individual who is not at his very best at this critical stage in the competition. They will need all 11 players in the starting line-up to be bang at it from kick-off against Zagreb, Young Boys and Villa to get the results they need, finish in the top 24 and progress.