CHAMPIONS LEAGUE football was dominating Celtic's season even before it kicked off and it is all anyone at the Parkhead club can talk about now.

With a consecutive Clydesdale Bank Premier League title expected to be a formality without Rangers around to offer any competition, the success or otherwise of Celtic's season will be judged on how they fare in European competition. And so far they are making a more than decent fist of it.

The 2-0 victory away to Helsingborgs on Tuesday night has left Celtic within touching distance of a return to the Champions League group phase for the first time in four years.

Neil Lennon yesterday gave a good impression of a man who does not think that this is already mission accomplished but even the Celtic manager could not help but be drawn into talking about Europe's elite competition and the possible ramifications for him, his team and the club should they make it through Wednesday night's second leg unscathed.

James Forrest, too, made some polite noises about today's league meeting with Inverness Caledonian Thistle being the priority but soon the young winger was also chattering excitedly about the realisation of a lifelong dream of playing Champions League football, while reminiscing – sort of – about his days as a ballboy when Manchester United and others were famously slain at Celtic Park.

If the Champions League is where the glamour is, then the Premier League is the ugly stepsister in danger of being ignored entirely. The assumption is that Celtic need only turn up to coast to the title by a sizeable points margin but their stuttering start has suggested they might not get it all their own way after all. It took a second-half goal, aided by a goalkeeping error, to defeat Aberdeen on opening day, while only an injury-time equaliser prevented Lennon's side from falling to a shock defeat to newly-promoted Ross County last week. It is understandable that Celtic may have become distracted as they focus on trying to deliver Champions League football but a similar lack of concentration at lunchtime today will surely be punished by Inverness.

"The manager will look to Wednesday with his team but [today's] game is the next one and that makes it the most important one," said Forrest, somewhat unconvincingly. "It was a hard game at Ross County last week and the boys did well to get a draw in the last minute. Hopefully, we can get a win [this afternoon]."

Lennon was cordial when discussing their Highland opponents. "Inverness have always had a great spirit," said the Celtic manager. They were impressive for a large chunk of last season and have developed a very good system where they go and get these players from England. I have never had an easy game at Inverness and don't expect one [today]."

It was not long before the conversation returned to the topic of the Champions League, hardly a surprise given how significant qualification would be for Lennon and his plans to augment the squad.

The lure of playing in such high-profile matches would be a substantial carrot to dangle in front of prospective signings, while the revenue would negate any need for Celtic to sell again in this window following the departure yesterday of Ki Sung-Yeung.

"We do have players lined up, ones we have been working on for quite a while," added Lennon. "Wednesday might have a big bearing on whether we can get over the line with these deals or not. One of the big incentives to come here is to play Champions League football. If we have that then it would make it a lot easier.

"Playing in the Champions League would be a big part of the players' development. It would enhance them no end. For the club, the financial value it brings, plus the glamour and exposure it would provide, makes next Wednesday a huge game for us."

Regardless of the financial boost entry into the Champions League would provide – the sum touted varies between £12m and £15m these days – Celtic will not shift from their policy of trying to uncover untapped, young talent on the cheap and polishing those rough stones into diamonds. The days of signing players for anything over £5m – as was the norm when Lennon was a player – now seem over.

"If you are consistently in the Champions League then you could maybe stretch it a bit more," he added. "But for the time being those days are not evident.

"We will maintain the policy we have had of trying to uncover players at good prices. That will always be the case until there is a shift in TV money. We also have to be prudent after the loss of Rangers. That has hit us for a lot of money as well."