Martin O’Neill hopes Celtic can keep Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels through their Champions League play-off despite the transfer interest around both players. Speaking to Clyde 1 Superscoreboard after the match, O’Neill said both players had made clear they wanted to keep playing while their situations remained unresolved. Neither player showed any clear sign of being distracted against Dundee, with Johnston completing the match and Engels playing in midfield as Celtic opened the season with three points. Johnston remains the first-choice right-back, while Engels is a regular in midfield and would be difficult to replace at short notice. For now, both Johnston and Engels remain Celtic players and have told the manager they are ready to keep playing while no move has been completed.