It is no surprise that Ronny Deila has already started planning for this summer's Uefa Champions League qualifiers given the magnitude of the games and what they mean to the club.

I actually think that the preparations for these July qualifiers took place back in January when Celtic brought in Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong from Dundee United.

At the time they had enough within the squad to see the season out, but I suspect the reason for paying the money in the middle of the campaign was to ensure that both players were firmly established in the first team and bedded into the club before these games in the summer.

You would have say that in the Europa League tie against Inter Milan that neither looked out of place.

They looked very comfortable in that sort of company and I would fully expect that they will have a significant role to play in getting Celtic back into the Champions League next season.

But the huge danger with these games is that they come so early in the season and it is extraordinarily difficult to get through three qualifying rounds.

It is so tough to have a squad that has gelled together and is ready to hit the ground running.

It is also another reason why this season's push for the Treble could be significant.

Going into those games on the back of a clean domestic sweep would mean that the team was full of confidence.

Last season at that stage Deila had just come in, there were a lot of changes going on and there did not seem to be the same harmony that exists now.

It is also often overlooked that Scott Brown missed the qualifying games because of a hamstring injury.

His influence on this Celtic team is difficult to under-estimate. He carries enormous sway in the Celtic dressing room and he was badly missed for such vital games.

Brown was out because he had picked up the injury in a friendly against Rapid Vienna in Austria and then faced three-months on the sidelines.

It wasn't, therefore, a great surprise that Deila has had his appeals for a sensible pre-season heard.

I remember Neil Lennon suggesting after summers which involved travel to Australia and America that it was not the ideal preparation for such significant games.

And it would appear that Deila will get the chance to stay closer to home this year as he looks to take Celtic back into the Champions League.

We always hear about how important the competition is because of the financial implications that come with qualifying.

But I also think that the prestige of the tournament, the glamour it brings to the season and the experience of it for both players and supporters is equally important.

I'd be reluctant to say that the season hinges on it entirely but without question it is a massive part of it.

As such, I suspect that Celtic will want to conclude any transfer business as swiftly as possible.

The first step in that will lie in just who remains and who goes.

Jason Denayer has come in for a season loan-deal and caught the eye but he has made it clear that he wishes to do a pre-season with Manchester City and push for a place in their first-team squad.

Virgil van Dijk has been linked with moved to the Premiership, although Celtic have insisted that they want to keep him at the club.

There is a bit of uncertainty and you expect that there would be at least one other central defender brought in and at least another striker.

There was a spell this season when John Guidetti looked like being a perfect fit for that role but since having that purple patch earlier in the season he has gone off the boil.

But where Denayer wants to return to City and forced his way into the team, I just don't see Guidetti as having the same opportunity south of the border.

There were be less upheaval this summer before the games.

The players have got to know the manager and he them. There will be a shortlist of players already there for the club to work through as they try to ensure that they go into the qualifying matches in the best possible shape.

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