Cluj 2-0 Celtic: Neil Lennon has no regrets over resting players

Manager Neil Lennon says he has no regrets about resting key players for Celtic's final Europa League match, despite his side losing 2-0 to Cluj.

Lennon left out eight players from the team that won Sunday's Scottish League Cup final against Rangers.

With Scottish Premiership tests against Hibernian, Hearts, Aberdeen and Rangers looming, he says it was vital that important players were rested.

"The campaign was won," said Lennon, whose men had already topped Group E.

• Celtic end group stage with defeat in Cluj

• Reaction and as it happened

"Some of the players have been playing a lot of games. Some of the players will need that 90 minutes for the games coming up. It was important that I didn't run the risk of injuries.

"We've won 13 in a row. I took a calculated risk, because I've got to think of the squad as a whole and I can't keep running the players in to the ground on pressure games."

Lennon was without suspended captain Scott Brown for Thursday's final group-stage game, but also chose to leave Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie, Tom Rogic, Fraser Forster and Odsonne Edouard at home.

Fringe players such as Scott Sinclair, Nir Bitton and Leigh Griffiths all started, while teenagers Scott Robertson and Karamoko Dembele made their competitive and European debuts respectively.

Celtic struggled to make an impact on the game, and two second-half goals condemned them to a first defeat in seven Europa League matches this term.

"I thought it was important that they took a bit of time off, or at least do a little bit of a light week rather than play another heavy game," said the manager of his first-team regulars.

"The other thing is the likes of Griffiths, Bitton, Moritz Bauer, Boli Bolingoli - even Vakoun Bayo and Sinclair - have all got minutes in their leg now, which is important for these five games coming up.

"These are huge games in the context of our season because the Premiership is our priority."