Is the camera shield on the iPod touch necessary in reassembly?

I recently dropped my iPod Touch and shattered the screen. I purchased a repair kit online and got it all assembled with the guidance of a video online. On that video they did not replace the metal camera shield on the top of the iPod that was stuck to the old glass. However, another guide said to reattach the camera shield before reassembling the iPod. The iPod has trouble closing sometimes when that piece is in place. Is that piece necessary in the iPod or can I leave it out when assembling the repaired iPod?