Facing Celtic 'will excite Rangers', says Lee Robinson

English goalkeeper Lee Robinson is in his second spell at Ibrox

Goalkeeper Lee Robinson thinks Rangers' squad will relish the prospect of renewing their rivalry with Celtic in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals.

The two Glasgow sides will meet, on 31 January or 1 February, for the first time since April 2012.

"I'm sure this is a draw that will excite the boys," said Robinson.

"I'm probably the wrong person to ask because I've only been here a few months. But I would love to be part of something like that."

Should 28-year-old Robinson face Celtic, it will end an 11-year wait to make his Old Firm debut.

The Englishman spent five years at Ibrox as a youngster but tasted only 15 minutes of first-team action.

Robinson was brought back to the club in the summer to provide back up to Cammy Bell and Steven Simonsen and was at last given his first start for the Light Blues in Saturday's 1-0 Scottish Cup win over Dumbarton.

Simonsen has now recovered from the head knock that kept him out against the fourth-round tie and Bell is due to be back in action early in the new year after shoulder surgery, so Robinson might again miss out against Celtic.

"I was only on the bench for one Old Firm game during my first stint here," he recalled. "That was back in 2006 or something and we lost 2-0."

Rangers manager Ally McCoist had hoped to avoid Celtic in the semi-finals and stressed that winning the Scottish Championship and promotion was his priority.

"It can't be a distraction, though, and it absolutely won't be," he said.

"It's a League Cup semi-final with Celtic but nothing more.

"Whether anybody likes it or not, it isn't as high on the agenda as getting out of the division is for us."