O'Neill: I had to play Sutton against Livi

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill insists he had no choice but to risk Chris Sutton for Sunday’s Tennent's Scottish Cup semi-final against Livingston.

The influential striker started the game even though he was carrying a groin strain and O’Neill looked to have lost the gamble when he was forced out in the second half after aggravating the injury.

A question mark now hangs over Sutton’s fitness ahead of tomorrow night’s crucial UEFA Cup quarter-final against Villarreal in Spain.

Celtic managed to come through the first leg with a 1-1 draw and they know they face a massive task at the El Madrigal stadium if they are to have any chance of matching last year’s run to the final.

But it was Sutton who netted two of Celtic’s goals as they romped to a 3-1 win over Livi to secure their place in the Scottish Cup final and O’Neill insists domestic trophies are also important to the club.

He told the club’s official website, www.celticfc.net: “I just didn’t think we could afford to rest players en masse, not with the Scottish Cup being so important to us.

“It was always our hope to take people off if we got a lead but you can’t treat football like that and I’ve not forgotten that it’s not all that long ago that we couldn’t get into any leads at all.”