Derek McInnes admits Rangers must be ‘stronger’ for Celtic Ibrox clash

Martin O’Neill’s side booked their place in the last eight with a convincing 4-0 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice before Rangers defeated St Mirren 5-1 at Ibrox.

Sunday night’s draw then paired the Glasgow rivals together, with Rangers handed home advantage, again, for the quarter-final showdown.

McInnes was pleased to see his side drawn at Ibrox and described the fixture as a “mouth-watering tie”, although he also acknowledged Rangers will need to improve before Celtic come calling.

He said: “I think obviously when your name came out first, the home tie, but it’s a mouth-watering tie right away.

“You know, normally that’s the type of sponsors we’d want maybe further on the competition, but now we’ve got it here. It’s a good opportunity for us.

“And if you’re going to win the trophy, you need to beat the better teams.

“So, you know, obviously, Celtic coming here will be. I think that’s two great weeks in a row it will be. It’ll be eagerly anticipated for everybody. Something to look forward to.

“Hopefully, by the time that game comes round we’ll be on the back of a few more wins and the squad will be a lot more settled and a bit stronger than it is at the minute because it will need to be to wrestle with a team like Celtic.”