WHEN Celtic were drawn to play HJK Helsinki in their opening Champions League qualifier last year, Neil Lennon openly expressed the fear the August 1 kick-off date would come much too early.

Little did he know then his side will have played three qualifiers in this season's campaign by the time that anniversary comes around.

Tempus fugit, as the Latin scholars would say. Time flies, as Lennon can confirm.

However, the record books show the Hoops boss and his players have met this calendar challenge head on, with comprehensive victories over Cliftonville in their second qualifying round matches.

Now it is Swedish champions Elfsborg who are in town to bring down the curtain on Celtic's hectic end-of-July programme tomorrow.

With all due respect to Cliftonville, this is where it gets serious.

It's the game for which Lennon has been preparing his players for several weeks, fine-tuning their fitness and honing their sharpness in a comprehensive series of warm-up games, culminating in Saturday's meeting with Borussia Munchengladbach.

The contrast between that 90 minutes – during which Celtic got a bit of a runaround – and what will take place tomorrow night will be stark, and not just because the line- up will bear no relation to the side on show at the weekend.

"You would like to think that, compared to Saturday, we will have a lot more of the ball in the game against Elfsborg," said Lennon's right-hand man, coach Garry Parker.

"We're hoping to be able to put a decent side out for this tie. I believe Elfsborg can play 4-5-1, but they might change that. Neil will be able to tell us more after his trip to see them at the weekend.

"They will come here and sit back, so it's up to us really. We need to get a couple of goals to take over there for the second leg, and that will be our aim.

"But you must have patience in games like this as we need to find out about them.

"We've looked at a couple of DVDs of their games. But you can't just go out their guns blazing, thinking you can score every time you have the ball and cross the halfway line.

"They'll get behind the ball, and we will have to work the openings."

It has not been overlooked Elfsborg rattled in 11 for the loss of only one in their previous qualification round against Daugava – four of those goals coming in the second leg in Latvia.

The Swedes will be looking to take at least one goal back to Boras for the return leg next week, and Mo Bangura will have more incentive than any of his team-mates to score it, given the war of words which has embroiled the loan striker since the draw was made.

But for all their success in front of goal caught the headlines – and the attention of suspicious bookmakers – Parker is not exactly in awe of their firepower.

"I don't think the team they played in the last round was a very good side, so we don't look too much at that," he said.

"We have looked at them, and we think they are beatable. Well, they are beatable.

"If we perform, I think we can go through. Johan Mjallby knows them and knows a lot of their players as well.

"Along with Neil, he was over watching their game at the weekend, and I'm fairly confident."

Not to the point of being cocky, however. Champions League football means far too much to Celtic for it to be sacrificed on the altar of complacency.

The pitfalls of qualification are well known to Lennon and his management team who need no reminding of the problems they encountered against Braga, Utrecht and Sion in their first couple of years trying to negotiate the path into Europe.

Lessons have been learned, and thanks to Scotland's poor ranking, are being put to good use earlier than ever before.

"For what we did last season, getting to the last 16, to have three qualifying rounds is hard," said Parker, echoing the view of Lennon.

"But, we've got to get on with it, and I think we're quite capable of going through.

"It's going to a big ask. If we can get past this round, it's the luck of the draw again in the play-off.

"We need to get a couple of players in. If we can do that, it will put us in good stead."

Derk Boerrigter looks like being one of them, with acquiring at least another two the target for Lennon.

But despite the frustration encountered in trying to bring in these new faces, and the loss of Victor Wanyama and Gary Hooper for big money to England, there is no panic among the Hoops management team.

"We have got a good squad," insisted Parker. "It's just unfortunate you lose two of your best players, which is hard to swallow. But you have just got to get on with it.

"We've got Anthony Stokes, who can come in to try and take over Gary Hooper's shoes.

"We have got Georgios Samaras, who has scored twice already in the qualifiers.

"These two are as good as anyone when they are playing well. It's just getting that consistency from them."

Amido Balde remains a work in progress, but Parker again calls for patience to be shown.

"He needs a bit of work," said the coach. "It's up to us to bring the best out of him.

"It's a new country for him and, once he sees a full house and everything rocking here, that is going to hit him as well.

"The more he watches, the more he learns, and, as he works hard in training, he will get better."