International omissions are rarely easy, but what seems to bother Engels most is the lack of dialogue. The report says he has not spoken with Garcia since the coaching change, and that absence of contact can feel as telling as the squad list itself.
For a young midfielder, clarity matters:
Without those answers, the only route left is performance.
Engels may be disappointed, but there is no sense of drift in his club career. He has just come through a demanding season at Celtic, helped deliver the Scottish Premiership title and, by the report’s account, spoke warmly about the dressing-room environment and the lift provided by the support at Celtic Park.
That matters. Players left out at international level can either shrink or sharpen. Engels appears determined to do the latter. His response, as outlined in the update, is to treat the setback as a challenge rather than a full stop.
Belgium remain in a period of transition, and places in midfield do not come with guarantees. Competition is growing, selection is changing, and reputations alone will not be enough. Engels appears to understand that.
There is still time to shift the picture. If he starts next season strongly, keeps influencing games and carries title-winning confidence into the autumn, the conversation around him could change quickly. The next thing to watch is simple: whether September brings renewed contact from Belgium - or gives Engels another reason to make even more noise in Glasgow.