Chris Sutton says he would not start Kasper Høgh against Hearts at Celtic Park this afternoon.

Celtic remain strong domestically, but their European form has brought heavy criticism, and Sutton admitted he is unsure what to expect from the team right now.

Our Celtic manager page covers his record and background.

Speaking on Sky Sports Scotland, Sutton said: “I’m not entirely confident.

“I think Celtic are quite hard to predict, what you’re going to get from the team week in and week out.

“I think in Europe, Celtic have shown major signs of regression, but in the league, the domestic football, Celtic have been pretty excellent, really.”

That contrast is where Celtic are at.

The league form gives O’Neill something to lean on, but the Benfica defeat has sharpened debate around the front line, the defensive shape and the balance of the team.

Hearts arrive at Celtic Park with their own threat, and Sutton expects them to cause problems if Celtic are not switched on.

He said: “Today will be a big test because it’s Hearts.

“Vrancken and his team, they seem to be playing some pretty decent stuff.

“Their away form of late hasn’t been great, but I’m sure they’ll give Celtic a game today.”

Sutton also pointed to the attacking quality Hearts carry.

He added: “Hearts have some really capable players.

“Braga, I’m a huge fan of.

“Calvin Miller’s an intelligent footballer.

“You’ve got Wilson, you’ve got McPake, all really talented players.

“And they know that they can hurt Celtic.”

The biggest call, though, came when Sutton was asked about Høgh.

The Danish striker arrived at Celtic for a club-record £11 million fee, but his early return has brought scrutiny.

He scored a hat-trick against Kilmarnock, but has not scored in any of his other Celtic appearances.

Asked whether he would start Høgh against Hearts, Sutton said: “I wouldn’t play him today.

“It’s interesting what Martin said, but he has to back him.

“The club have forked out a lot of money, £11 million on him.”

That is the problem for O’Neill.

Høgh’s fee makes him difficult to ignore, but Celtic looked more dangerous in Lisbon when Camilo Durán moved into central areas.

Haissem Hassan also made an impact from the bench, setting up Durán’s goal and giving Celtic a direct runner on the right.

Sutton believes plenty of supporters would now like to see that type of front line.

He said: “I think most Celtic fans think that the front line, certainly with Durán playing in that central position.

“Hassan, I quite like Hassan.

“I know he drops his runner, I know he doesn’t drag back, but he’s a player who can go past defenders, so I like him.”

That leaves O’Neill with a real decision.

He publicly backed Høgh to score goals, but Celtic need an immediate response against Hearts.

Starting Durán through the middle would be a clear shift after Lisbon, while Hassan’s performance in Portugal has also pushed him into the conversation.

On form, he would leave Celtic’s record striker out and go with the players who gave the team more pace and threat in the second half against Benfica.