Having fuelled the speculation over his future following the latest derby defeat, Celtic boss Martin O'Neill has confirmed he is here to stay, eyes firmly fixed on another Premiership title.

No change then in the dugout, yet O'Neill will need to shake things up on the pitch if he is to stop the rot at Parkhead, the Bhoys embarking on a Wilfred Nancy-esque run of form before the international break.

A key area where the 74-year-old needs to tweak things is in central midfield, the starting trio of Benjamin Nygren, Mika Baur and Callum McGregor having come undone on the big occasion.

The man most notably in the crosshairs is McGregor, with it perhaps time to see what this midfield unit might look like without him.

Will O'Neill bench McGregor this weekend?

Motherwell are next on the agenda for the Scottish champions on Sunday, O'Neill's men set to travel to Fir Park having seen their perfect start to the Premiership season come to an end against Rangers.

In both that defeat and the prior League Cup exit, the men in green and white were simply overrun in midfield, the absence of Arne Engels now being truly felt in that department.

Summer signing Baur, recently called up by Germany, has made a bright start to life at Parkhead, with it seemingly unfair for a man lauded by Jurgen Klopp to lose his starting berth so swiftly.

As for Nygren, for all his faults and lack of athleticism, the Swede arguably still remains Celtic's chief goal threat in that advanced midfield berth, having scored 21 times in all competitions last season.

That then leaves the finger pointed at long-serving skipper, McGregor, the 33-year-old yet to register a goal or assist in the league this season, while so often undone due to his declining mobility.

Already in 2026/27, he's been dribbled past 1.2 times per game, well above his 0.5 average from last season, with there certainly an argument that he needs to come out of the firing line.

Whether O'Neill will makes that ruthless decision regarding an undoubted club legend remains to be seen, however, the veteran coach memorably even starting the captain against Auchinleck Talbot back in January, an occasion when he could well have been afforded a rest.

He remains an almost undroppable figure, it would seem, ensuring it looks unlikely McGregor will be losing his starting berth heading into this weekend.

As for the long-term, however, that might be a different story.

Why Celtic's homegrown Matt O'Riley can replace McGregor

There's no denying that McGregor's future was a talking point over the summer, the ageing hero having changed agents amid talk of a potential move to the Middle East.

No such exit occurred, although with his contract set to expire in 2028, it does feel inevitable that his time at Parkhead will come to an end one way or another over the next 18 months or so.

The Hoops notably strengthened in midfield this summer, although outside of Baur, Joel van den Berg hasn't been seen due to injury, while a potential Engels replacement, Oliver Sorensen, was omitted from the matchday squad last time out.

Based on the results of recent recruitment, it might not be the new signings then who help to usher out the door, with the academy seemingly the perfect place to find McGregor's successor.

One youngster who may well be up to the task is 17-year-old sensation, Conor Daly, the promising midfielder having started the new campaign in a rich vein of form for Celtic's 'B' team.

It is 15-goal star, Lucas Clearie, who is the standout figure in that team right now, although Daly has been catching attention in his own right from his midfield berth.

The teenage playmaker - who signed a first professional contract back in the summer of 2025 - has already scored and assisted eight goals in nine Lowland League games this season, a fine return for a midfielder.

He is, it must be said, someone who can also operate in a more advanced attacking role, or even on the flanks, yet his best position appears to be as a number eight, almost Matt O'Riley-esque in what he offers both in front of goal and creatively.

Look to his overall record for the B team, for instance, with Daly scoring seven and assisting five in 35 games so far in all competitions.

He's a player who can chip in in both senses, just like O'Riley, the former Celtic star another truly elegant, progressive midfielder, yet one who had such impressive end product, scoring 27 and assisting 35 in 124 games for the club.

The beauty of the Dane too was that he could slot into a deeper role when required, memorably shining during a brief run as the number six in McGregor's absence back in 2022/23.

Young Daly is cut from a similar cloth, someone who could really freshen up Celtic's midfield ranks in the near future.

With McGregor's time perhaps set to be up before too long, the academy could present the solution once more.