In normal circumstances the build-up would be starting round about now.

Celtic host Rangers next weekend in the first meeting of the season – mouthwatering because of the start both have made to the campaign – before Celtic Park hosts a Europa League meeting with AC Milan five days later, a game that would have had all the hallmarks of a Champions League night.

But with the stands still empty and no indication that will change any time soon, it will be an occasion different from anything that the current crop of players will have experienced.

Lennon himself admitted that as a player he would have struggled to deal with playing in the odd atmosphere of a stadium that echoes to the shouts of players performing in a high intensity encounter but without the usual energy of that environment.

“We will work with the players as best we can to deal with that and prepping them as best we can for the games,” he said. “They are amazing games to play in so we have to adjust without supporters as best we can.

“They have done remarkably well. I don’t know how I would have dealt with it because I thrived on atmosphere. I thrived on the crowd and some players do really thrive on it.

“That is missing at the minute but we are still winning games and winning them well. We have had four clean sheets as well which has been overlooked. We have tidied up defensively and I can’t ask any more for what they are giving me.”

Celtic have long been renowned for their ability to dig out a last gasp goal to get them over the line but over recent months with no crowd to roar their enthusiasm and no energy to feed off of, Neil Lennon has applauded the inner desire of his players to take it upon themselves to find that will to win.

There was a late double at Perth last weekend to take all three points in a sticky encounter against St Johnstone and it was a similar story against Riga as a 90th minute winner from Mohamed Elyounoussi sustained Celtic’s Europa League journey.

And Lennon has appreciated that much of that has to come from within.

“A lot of it has to come from self-motivation,” he said. “You try and get them to adapt to the circumstances as best as possible.

“It is new to everyone and all coaches and managers are going through the same thing. I’ll be delighted if and when we can get supporters back into the stadium because I think it would be a huge help for the supporters here but they have done brilliantly with what they have had to deal with and I can’t ask any more of them.

“They can play better but I think if there is an atmosphere subconsciously you are just on point more. Having no fans can affect performances but they have handled it very well, as well as anybody.”

Celtic have dropped just two points from their opening nine league games with eight wins recorded. Lennon collected the Manager of the Month award at the start of the week but the picture wasn’t representative of the criticism that he and the team have come in for.

Social media has been awash with fairly over-the-top flak in terms of team selection and tactical calls but while Celtic have been turgid at times in their displays, Lennon is confident that there will be more fluency to come.

There have been six new additions made – all of whom are expected to challenge for first-team places – in the window and with a Europa League campaign now assured after the fraught qualification journey negotiated, Lennon expects there to be an elevation in terms of performances.

“The squad has played very well,” he said. “I think there is far more to come from them in terms of level of performance but I do think still that the lack of supporters in the stadium doesn’t help at times with the intensity of the play. You can see that with other results around Europe – you look at Liverpool and Manchester United, Man City. We have been pretty consistent in our results and we have adapted as well as anybody to it.”

And the Celtic manager has insisted that given the circumstances of this season that his squad should have been praised rather than criticised for how they have coped with a unique campaign.

“They have shown remarkable consistency,” he said.

“We were disappointed with the Ferencvaros result. We dominated the game and we could and should have won the game but the response has been magnificent and I am thrilled with their mentality and the amount of work they have done in between the games and in between travelling to Sarajevo and Riga.

“My backroom team have done amazing work with the players and the preparations for the games so we are in a good place at the minute and long may it continue.”