Chris Sutton has insisted that Martin O'Neill must put his health before football as the Celtic boss recovers in hospital. The Hoops confirmed on Wednesday that the 74-year-old had undergone a "small procedure" and was due to be discharged within the next 48 hours.
Uncertainty Over Weekend Match
It remains unclear whether O'Neill will be fit enough to take his place in the dugout for Sunday's Premiership trip to Kilmarnock. If not, assistants Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham are expected to take charge at Rugby Park.
Sutton, a Record Sport columnist, said: "I've known Martin a long time, so I'm just glad to hear he's okay. From just a human perspective, the main thing is he gets back 100 per cent as soon as possible."
Health as Priority
"People will obviously be wondering about what's going to happen at the weekend, but Martin needs to look after himself first and foremost. Football's secondary. I suppose the Celtic fans would like to see him back at the helm as quickly as possible," Sutton added.
O'Neill, a Parkhead legend, returned as permanent manager earlier this summer after steering Celtic to an astonishing Double during his interim spell. The Northern Irishman was in the hotseat on Monday night as the reigning champions kicked off their Premiership title defence with a 1-0 win over Dundee.
Sutton's Advice
Sutton said: "Martin's got to do what's right for himself and his family. If he feels that he's healthy enough to carry on, he should do. He's not a stupid man by any stretch of the imagination. If he feels he's fit enough to carry on, then he'll carry on."
"He started the season and Celtic got off to an okay start. It's just unfortunate from his personal situation what's got going on. I suppose people from the outside would look at his age and think, well, he's 74 and he's been in hospital. People ask the question, should he carry on? But that's up to him. If he feels fit and healthy enough, then he's got a year on his contract and then it'll be a wait and see what happens," he continued.
Backup Plans
Should O'Neill remain sidelined this weekend, Sutton is confident assistants Maloney and Fotheringham have the experience to guide Celtic through the trip to Ayrshire. He said: "They're Martin's choices. He brought them in again this season. He has faith in them. I don't think much will change if that is the case."
"I think there's been a fair bit of negativity about Celtic's performance on Monday. I actually thought it was OK. I thought they could and should have won by more goals. Kasper Hogh missed a few chances. I thought the performance was okay. The main thing is getting off to a winning start, which they did," Sutton added.
"Shaun and Mark have got a fair bit of experience. I don't think that would be a real issue. But, of course, everybody wants to see Martin back in the dugout."
