Stuart Armstrong got the news he wanted yesterday afternoon when he passed his law exams – but the Hoops midfielder is facing up to a different kind of test over the coming weeks and months.

First and foremost the challenge for Armstrong is to play a part in steering Celtic into the group stages of the UEFA Champions League. The outcome of the Parkhead side’s task to make it into the elite tournament effectively underpins their entire season.

Having been left red-faced this week in Gibraltar, Celtic have to rediscover their composure.

More than that, though, they have to discover a fluency and effectiveness that has been difficult to find for the better part of 12 months.

Last summer Ronny Deila took the club within touching distance of getting back into the group stages of the Champions League, only to falter at the final step when Malmo swept them aside in Sweden.

Whether or not Celtic are better prepared this time around remains to be seen.

“Obviously it was not fantastic,” said Armstrong with regard to Tuesday’s defeat. “We’ve been feeling quite down about the performance, as were the fans.

“But it’s something we’ll learn from and we’re looking forward to putting it right. It’s still early days and it was only the first leg. We’ve still got the return leg on Wednesday and we’re all looking forward to it.

“You can never allow yourselves to get too high or too low in football. One week you can score two goals and be man of the match - the next you could get beaten by someone you don’t expect to lose to.”

Most would expect Celtic to see of Lincoln Red Imps at Celtic Park on Wednesday night but even so, the next round promises to be arduous – and not only in terms of the travel.

Celtic travelled to Kazakhstan three years ago when they faced Shakhter Karagandy in the qualifiers, a game which Celtic chartered a private plane in order to allow the players to make the best preparations ahead of the tie.

They lost the first tie 2-0 but recovered with a 3-0 win at Celtic Park, with James Forrest netting the winning goal to put Celtic through.

It is, though, a marathon journey for the game and Armstrong expects that if Celtic prevail to get through to the next round that all the stops will be pulled out in order that the Parkhead side are able to cope with the travelling.

“There’s always going to be travel issues and if both of us get through they will need to come here as well,” shrugged Armstrong. “I’ve had a few long haul trips. I’ve been to Georgia and to Moscow. It’s the football life. You are constantly travelling to different places so we are all used to it.

“The club are really good at dealing with things like compensating for the time differences and preparing properly. We played in Azerbaijan last season so that experience would help, especially as we were playing against a team that was very good and moved the ball well.”

Astana are effectively the toughest opponents Celtic could have got in the nest round.

The Kazakhstan champions came through three qualifying rounds last season so are prepared for this early part of the tournament and they also have the experience of having played in the group stages.

They shared a group with Benfica, Galatasaray and Atletico Madrid last year and although they finished at the bottom of that pile with four points, they will feel they have acclimatised to the demands of what it takes to get into the competition.

That Celtic are away first might offer some solace since they will then be in a position to recover any lost ground on home soil, but it should now detract from the difficulties that lie ahead.

“I must admit I didn’t see much of them in the Champions League last season,” said Armstrong. “I know every game leading up to the Champions League is tough. Everyone is looking to get that elusive spot but we have to take each game at a time.

“We are confident we will go through but we don’t expect anything. We won’t take anything for granted. All we have to do is win - not matter what.

“We will be raring to go from the very start.”

Aside from doing his part to do his part in getting Celtic into the group stages of the tournament and earning the significant bounty that it brings, Arnstrong’s own personal ambitions revolve around forcing his way into the first-team on a regular basis.

The former Tannadice midfielder made an impressive early impression on the Hoops when he first arrived at the club – he scored against Inter Milan in the knock-out stage of the Europe League in Ronny Deila’s first season – but a campaign played out of position last season did nothing to augment that early promise.

It also meant that he was in and out of the side but there is a suggestion that if he is given a central berth he may well excel. Certainly, though, his only aim at the minute is to cement himself into the starting XI.

"It's still early days and everyone is fighting for a place in the team,” he said. “We are still very much on board with the new philosophies and how he wants to play.”