Post by Taxigirl on Apr 12, 2004 11:09:05 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/3619247.stm
Celtic striker Chris Sutton has vowed to play through the pain barrier to face Villarreal in the Uefa Cup quarter-final second leg on Wednesday.
Sutton aggravated a groin injury in the Scottish Cup semi-final on Sunday.
"It's a bit sore," he said. "I have had a problem the last two weeks, but we will wait and see how it goes and hopefully it will settle down.
"I've had it a while, but I have always managed to get through games. I would walk through a brick wall to play."
Sutton proved vital to Celtic again at Hampden, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory over Livingston.
Manager Martin O'Neill admitted that Sutton is a doubt, but the Englishman insists that he is willing and able to help Celtic overcome the loss of an away goal against the Spanish side.
"I will rest it and see on Wednesday," he said. "I have not been having injections. It is a bit too high to put a jag up there.
"It was not very good in the second half and I came off as a precaution.
"I want to be involved in all the games at this stage of the season. It is not ideal to play three games a week, but I want to play."
Meanwhile, Villarreal coach Francisco Garcia picked up an injury concern himself, with midfielder Jose Mari limping out of his team's 2-0 home defeat by Deportivo La Coruna.
But Garcia, whose side drew 1-1 at Celtic Park, warned the Glasgow side not to read much into Sunday's result.
"I know my team very well and I know we could have played better," he said.
"This is not my Villarreal - Wednesday is going to be another game and, obviously, it will be another team.
"The game we played in Glasgow against Celtic was a very competitive one and some of my players suffered some knocks.
"That was why I didn't field them from the start as I wanted them to rest.
"But, later, I was forced to use them because we were 1-0 down and I was going for the equaliser, so nobody can accuse me of just thinking about Celtic.
"My players weren't thinking about Celtic either and we got beat because we didn't score and Deportivo scored two.
"There are no other excuses."
Celtic striker Chris Sutton has vowed to play through the pain barrier to face Villarreal in the Uefa Cup quarter-final second leg on Wednesday.
Sutton aggravated a groin injury in the Scottish Cup semi-final on Sunday.
"It's a bit sore," he said. "I have had a problem the last two weeks, but we will wait and see how it goes and hopefully it will settle down.
"I've had it a while, but I have always managed to get through games. I would walk through a brick wall to play."
Sutton proved vital to Celtic again at Hampden, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory over Livingston.
Manager Martin O'Neill admitted that Sutton is a doubt, but the Englishman insists that he is willing and able to help Celtic overcome the loss of an away goal against the Spanish side.
"I will rest it and see on Wednesday," he said. "I have not been having injections. It is a bit too high to put a jag up there.
"It was not very good in the second half and I came off as a precaution.
"I want to be involved in all the games at this stage of the season. It is not ideal to play three games a week, but I want to play."
Meanwhile, Villarreal coach Francisco Garcia picked up an injury concern himself, with midfielder Jose Mari limping out of his team's 2-0 home defeat by Deportivo La Coruna.
But Garcia, whose side drew 1-1 at Celtic Park, warned the Glasgow side not to read much into Sunday's result.
"I know my team very well and I know we could have played better," he said.
"This is not my Villarreal - Wednesday is going to be another game and, obviously, it will be another team.
"The game we played in Glasgow against Celtic was a very competitive one and some of my players suffered some knocks.
"That was why I didn't field them from the start as I wanted them to rest.
"But, later, I was forced to use them because we were 1-0 down and I was going for the equaliser, so nobody can accuse me of just thinking about Celtic.
"My players weren't thinking about Celtic either and we got beat because we didn't score and Deportivo scored two.
"There are no other excuses."