THE squad faced Neil Lennon as the Celtic manager identified the individuals he wanted to take a step forward, to take a stride to replace the personalities who have brought the club more than £17m in transfer fees in the close season.

This is a new campaign with new challenges. Celtic require new heroes. Lennon advised his squad in pre-season precisely what he needs and who he expects to supply it.

The examination starts tonight with the visit of IF Elfsborg in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. The departure of Victor Wanyama to Southampton for £12.5m and Gary Hooper to Norwich City for £5m leaves Celtic with an excellent bank balance but the bottom line in Champions League qualifiers is that quality counts. Yet Lennon, stripped of two excellent players, has prepared for the qualifiers without the extraordinary nervousness that accompanied his first tilt at the Champions League proper last year.

"I believe we have enough quality to cause them plenty of problems, particularly at home," said Lennon of the Swedish side. "Away from home, I'm also more confident than I was two years ago because of our performances. There is a good belief in this squad," he said.

Lennon has charged other players with the task of replacing Hooper and Wanyama. "I've said: 'Can we succeed without those two, or did we need to rely on them to get us through?' You really question their own professional pride now, hoping they come to the fore with that."

He added: "I've addressed them individually in front of the group. I'm not going to name names but some of them know it's a challenge and can they take it? That's the motivation for them."

The most likely recipient of this offer to pick up the gauntlet must be Anthony Stokes. The Irish striker was once the player who was left out of the big matches. "He just needs to be more consistent because he's got the talent, we all know he's got the talent. You saw his performance in the Scottish Cup final, it was great," said his manager.

This is the nub for Lennon. He has to invest in hope rather than live in expectation. The extraordinary performances of Hooper and Wanyama and the burgeoning reputations of those such as Kelvin Wilson, Adam Matthews and Fraser Forster make it seem as if Celtic have the perfect formula for success in the transfer market. Yet all the furore over Mo Bangura's participation in the match disguises the reality that not every player mined from Belgium, Portugal, Sweden or wherever can be a gem.

Lennon must rely on players achieving a consistency through good coaching, strong motivation and personal will. This recipe has produced a new, improved Georgios Samaras. "His reputation has really grown in the last 18 months," said Lennon of the Greek striker who was once greeted with a groan from the stands rather than applause. Samaras has become an influential player in the Champions League for Celtic with his aerial ability unsettling defences and his pace and vision proving invaluable on the counter-attack.

"He's turned his career full circle, it's just been brilliant to watch," said Lennon. "He's gone from being a boo-boy to the supporters' player of the year and that takes an enormous amount of self-belief, an enormous amount of character, because a lot of other players would have gone: 'You know what, I'm not putting up with this, I'm going to go'. But he stuck at it and he's become a really important player and he's improving. He works at his game, he works on different weaknesses and he's turned into a top-class player.

"When you're 6ft 4in and can run like the wind, have good feet and can head it, they are all the attributes you want to be a really good player." Samaras is a quiet presence in the dressing-room, but an influential one. Lennon praised him for being a role model for others.

Now Stokes must prove that he can take his talent and develop it into tangible achievement. His first mission will be to help Celtic achieve victory against an Elsborg side who come to Parkhead with something of a swagger. They sit fifth in the Allsvenskan, nine points behind Helsingborgs, who Celtic defeated in qualifying last year. But the Swedes believe progress can be made and Lennon, though far from apprehensive about the tie, knows Elfsborg present difficulties.

"They are the Swedish champions with international players, full-time obviously, and 17 games into their season so they are match-sharp," he said. "They are a good, very well-organised side who pass the ball very well. They are probably putting more emphasis on qualification into the Champions League than their progress in the league, so they are a very dangerous opponent."

Lennon will have Charlie Mulgrew, Ledley and Matthews back in contention for a starting place and may include Derk Boerrigter, who last night finalised a £3m move from Ajax after passing a medical. Amido Balde, the £2m signing from Vitoria Guimaraes, will also be available but the spotlight may fall on Stokes. Can he be the player to provide the goals that will ease progress in the Champions League? "He'll probably tell you he hasn't had that opportunity but he will get that now," said Lennon.

He must take it for the sake of himself and the club.