Celtic manager Neil Lennon says his side are in a ‘great place’ after they moved a step closer to the Champions League group stages thanks to a 2-0 win over Nomme Kalju.

The Hoops had already won the first leg 5-0 and they stretched their aggregate advantage to seven goals after an own goal from Aleksandr Kulinits and a stunning debut strike from Marian Shved.

Celtic never got out of second gear on Tuesday evening and they will now take on Romanian side Cluj in the third round of qualifying. Lennon rested six players ahead of Saturday’s Premiership opener against St Johnstone and he admits he was delighted by his team’s recent performances.

“I thought we had a tough first-round tie against Sarajevo, we negotiated that well and negotiated this one brilliantly, so we are in a good place,” said Lennon.

“The quality does get stronger as you go along, but we’ll cross that bridge and be well prepared. Winning tonight keeps the momentum going into Saturday and, judging by the dressing room, we’ve come through unscathed.”

Lennon was also quick to try and play down suggestions that claim Scott Sinclair is on his way out of the club. The 30-year-old has struggled for game time since Lennon returned to Parkhead but the Hoops coach claims he wants him in his squad for the foreseeable future.

He added: “A player with that experience is always so handy to have around. “He’s got a great goal record and he’s had a great time at Celtic. So we don’t want him to go. That’s for sure.”