Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is hoping to claim his first piece of silverware in Scotland.

Speaking to BT Sports, he said: "The League Cup is a very important competition for us. It's the first trophy that's up for grabs, so we want to give it our full focus, full attention and do everything we can to get to the final."

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Celtic have not only won the League Cup for the last three seasons but they are unbeaten in eight games, are three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership and have won all six of their home games in all competitions this season.

Thistle travel across the city unbeaten in their last two away games.

But it was Saturday's 3-0 home defeat by Dunfermline Athletic, which dropped them to the bottom of the Championship, that led to the departure of Gary Caldwell as manager to be replaced with Ian McCall.

Celtic have won their last six meetings with their Glasgow rivals and have not lost in their last 38 since a 2-1 league win for Thistle at Celtic Park in January 1993.

Hearts manager Craig Levein tells BBC Sportsound that 17-year-old left-back Aaron Hickey has been offered a new contract amid reported interest from Manchester City.

"We’re just going back and forward with his father at the moment on that. It’s in the pipeline," he says.

"My view is what he’s been offered here is the chance to play first-team football at a really high level at such a young age. He’s coping with it really well.

"I don’t think it’s in his interest at all to be looking to do anything else until he’s played about 100 games or something."

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Celtic manager Neil Lennon has made eight changes to his starting line-up and feels debutant Jeremie Frimpong has the potential to carve out a big career at the club.

"Jeremie has impressed us very much in training," Lennon told BBC Scotland of the recent arrival from Manchester City.

"He's 19, very quick, strong for his size and very good on the ball. We're hoping for big things from Jeremie as he goes along.

"I think it is a pretty strong team, but I think it is a necessity as well with the games we have coming up. The players coming in are itching to play. We want to give these guys a chance to show what they can do."

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Hearts eased pressure on manager Craig Levein by winning their first league game of the season on Sunday - and it couldn't have been more timely, coming away to city rivals Hibs.

But they have still gone three games without a home victory, their only success in five this season coming when edging out League Two side Stenhousemuir 2-1 in the League Cup group stage.

Aberdeen arrive confident after five games without defeat, having beaten Livingston 2-0 on Saturday.

But, although the Dons beat Hearts 3-2 in the Premiership in August at Pittodrie, they have lost on their last three visits to Tynecastle and have not won on their last four.

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Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed an unfamiliar name on Celtic's bench in the form of Scott Sinclair. The English winger was once the first name on Brendan Rodgers' team sheet, but this season the 30-year old has found himself surplus to requirements.

Tonight is the first time Sinclair has made it into the Celtic match-day squad since 10 August, when he came on for 11 minutes in the club's 5-2 win over Motherwell.

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Kilmarnock's four-game unbeaten run was brought to a predictable end away to Premiership leaders Celtic on Sunday.

But, after all the turmoil and rumours resulting from a rocky start as head coach, Angelo Alessio's side are unbeaten in their last three home games.

Their latest was a 2-0 league win over tonight's visitors.

Hibs' Edinburgh derby defeat at home to Hearts on Sunday was their third reverse in a row.

They have lost their last three away games and have failed to win in their last four outings.

It is only 11 days since these two met in the Premiership in Glasgow, with the hosts ending Livingston's nine-game unbeaten run and thwarting their attempt to win a fourth consecutive game.

Gary Holt's side have since also lost at home to Aberdeen on Saturday, while Rangers have recovered from their first defeat of the season - at home to Celtic - with three consecutive victories.

Sunday's 4-0 thumping of St Johnstone in Perth means Steven Gerrard's team are unbeaten in eight away games this season.

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Ian McCall and Neil Lennon will no doubt have bumped into each other in more congenial circumstance in Glasgow's West End, but tonight they find themselves in opposition at Celtic Park.

McCall couldn't have a more testing opening game for his second spell as Thistle manager after succeeding sacked former Celtic centre-half Gary Caldwell.

Lennon is looking to avoid the kind of League Cup upsets that were rare black marks during his first spell as Celtic boss.

Rory McKenzie drops out of the Kilmarnock side in favour of veteran winger Chris Burke, while fellow forward Harvey St Clair, on loan from Venezia, makes his first start for the Ayrshire club in place of Liam Miller.

Under pressure Hibs head coach Paul Hekingbottom opts for no less than three changes to the side that capitulated to Hearts on Sunday.

Star midfielder Scott Allan and striker Florian Kamberi have been dropped to the bench, with on-loan Rangers winger Glenn Middleton and striker Christian Doidge their replacements. Tom James slots in at right-back in place of Jason Naismith.

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James McFadden
Former Scotland forward on BBC Radio Scotland

Craig Levein makes just one change to the side that beat Hibs in Sunday's Edinburgh derby. Striker Steven MacLean comes in as attacking midfielder Sean Clare drops to the bench.

Aberdeen make four changes to the side that beat Livingston 2-0. In come strikers Sam Cosgrove and James Wilson along with right-back Shay Logan and forward Connor McLennan.

Curtis Main, Niall McGinn, Zak Vyner and Jon Gallagher all drop out.

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Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall hopes his players savour the experience of taking on defending champions Celtic in their own back yard.

"I just hope they go out and really enjoy the game," McCall tells BBC Radio Scotland. "Anything can happen and sometimes it does.

"It’s Inverness away on Saturday, which I regard as more important, but I’m sure they’ll give a good account of themselves and leave nothing out there. It’s cup football, so you never know these things.

"I've got huge respect for their manager. He was very important in my getting the Ayr United job and I've got a lot to thank him for."

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Chick Young
BBC Scotland pundit on Sportsound

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Kilmarnock: Branescu, O'Donnell, Del Fabro, Findlay, Hamalainen, Power, Dicker, Burke, El Makrini, St. Clair, Brophy

Substitutions: Koprivec, Bruce, Hendrie, McKenzie, Millar, Thomas, Sow,

Hibernian: Maxwell, James, Porteous, Hanlon, Stevenson, Hallberg, Vela, Mallan, Middleton, Horgan, Doidge.

Substiutions: Marciano, Whittaker, Newell, Jackson, Kamberi, Allan, Shaw.

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Hearts manager Craig Levein says Sunday's Edinburgh derby win over Hibs has not eased the pressure on him and his side after recent poor form.

"I haven't really spent any time celebrating with the position we are in," he said. "Aberdeen always make it difficult for us and I don't expect it to be different tonight.

"It is the quarter-final of the cup and we had some good experiences in cups last season and to do that again, we have to win tonight."

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Forty-eight years ago, Thistle shocked Scottish football, giving mighty Celtic a serious thumping in the League Cup final of 1971.

Celtic, still managed by Jock Stein and complete with Kenny Dalglish and a host of Lisbon Lions, had been European finalists the previous season. But, incredibly, they were 4-0 down by half-time, a Dalglish consolation their only solace.

Last time the teams met also came in this competition. Leigh Griffiths came off the bench to net the winner in a 2-1 Celtic victory at Firhill during January 2018.

You have to go back to 1995 for a Partick Thistle triumph over their Glasgow foes.

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With Celtic being heavy favourites in front of their own fans, manager Neil Lennon has taken the opportunity to give game time to fringe players and new arrivals, making eight changes from the win over Kilmarnock.

Jeremie Frimpong makes his Celtic debut after joining from Manchester City over summer, replacing the injured Moritz Bauer in defence. Fellow new recruit Mohamed Elyounoussi returns along with Hatem Abd Elhamed and Jonny Hayes, while there are rare starts for goalkeeper Craig Gordon, Lewis Morgan, fit-again Tom Rogic and Vakoun Issouf Bayo.

Out go Fraser Forster, Bauer, Christopher Jullien, Boli Bolingoli, Scott Brown, James Forrest, Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard.

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Ian McCall makes three changes for his first game as Thistle boss. Defender Osman Kakay, midfielder Reece Cole and striker Dario Zanatta drop out, with Ryan Williamson, Tommy Robson and Cammy Palmer their replacements.