Hibernian head coach Jack Ross says it's "nice to be back" at Alloa, where he began his managerial career in 2015, but won't go easy on his old team.

"I loved my time here, it was brilliant in giving me an opportunity to manage," Ross tells BBC Sportsound.

"But tonight for us it's about being as ruthless and relentless as we've been in recent weeks.

"We understand the difficulty of tonight's tie. Our preparation is exactly the same as it's been for recent league games."

Image source, SNS

With Celtic, the winners of the League Cup for the last four years, now out, Rangers will be the favourites to lift the trophy.

But hot on their heels are Hibernian, who are the second-highest ranked SPFL team still left in the competition.

They last lifted this trophy in 2007 when they defeated Kilmarnock 5-1 in the final, with John Collins at the helm and a team featuring Scott Brown, Steven Fletcher, Abdessalam Benjelloun, and some guy called Lewis Stevenson - what ever happened to him?

Alloa produced one of the shocks of the last 16 as they knocked out fellow Championship club Hearts.

Alan Trouten's extra-time penalty was enough for a 1-0 win for Peter Grant's side, who are now eighth in the second tier.

Can they claim another Edinburgh scalp tonight by beating Hibs?

Image source, SNS

St Johnstone were really starting to motor under Callum Davidson, going a club-record 11 games unbeaten before the weekend's narrow defeat by Livingston.

A win tonight to book a trip to Hampden would get them firmly back on track and, as manager Callum Davidson said earlier this week, would be a big boost for the club financially.

Dunfermline are traditionally one of Scotland's biggest clubs in terms of fan base and history, but they've been outside the top flight for the best part of a decade, without really threatening to return.

This season they've made a strong start to the Championship and sit second after seven games. A win against Premiership opposition tonight would be a further statement of intent.

Top scorer Kevin Nisbet is a notable absentee for Hibs as they bid to book a place in the semi-finals.

Nisbet, who netted his 11th of the season in the weekend hammering of Hamilton, drops out of the squad with a slight muscle injury.

His place up top is taken by 21-year-old Jamie Gullan, who makes his first start since the group-stage win over Forfar in October.

Image source, sns

Alloa: Parry, Dick, Robertson, Graham, Jamieson, Hetherington, Cawley, Trouten, Connelly, Scougall, Buchanan.

Substitutes: Willison, Lynch, Thomson, Evans, O'Donnell, Malcolm.

Hibernian: Marciano, P McGinn, Porteous, Hanlon, Stevenson, Wright, Hallberg, Newell, Boyle, Gullan, Doidge.

Substitutes: Barnes, Gray, McGregor, Doig, S. McGinn, Magennis, Mallan, Bradley.

Dunfermline: Fon Williams, Comrie, Watson, E.Murray, Edwards, F.Murray, Dow, McInroy, Thomas, Turner, McManus

Substitutes: O’Hara, McCann, Wilson, Whittaker, Bowmanj, Fenton, Mayo, Berry, Gill

St Johnstone: Clark, Booth, Kerr, Gordon, Rooney, Tanser, Davidson, Craig, McCann, Wotherspoon, Kane

Substitutes: Parish, McCart, McNamara, Bryson, May, Ferguson, Hendry, Melamed, Conway

Here we are, the quarter-finals of the League Cup. In the last few years, we'd have known the winner by now, but obviously the schedule has undergone major surgery.

Tonight we have two Premiership sides visiting second-tier opponents, followed by two all top-flight ties tomorrow. Who will make it to Hampden in the new year?

Tuesday:

• Dunfermline Athletic v St Johnstone (19:45)
• Alloa Athletic v Hibernian (20:00)

Wednesday:

• Livingston v Ross County (19:45)
• St Mirren v Rangers (20:00)