THE sound of cheering could be heard in the Celtic Park dressing room last night when it became clear that Celtic and Rangers were to resume hostilities after a lay-off of almost three years in the League Cup semi-finals.

With a New Firm meeting between Dundee United and Aberdeen first out of the hat, players on both sides of the Glasgow divide reacted favourably to the first meeting between these two teams since April 2012, and the first since the Ibrox club's readmission to the league after administration and liquidation.

With the match likely to be scheduled for Hampden Park on Sunday, February 1, 2015, there now begins a three-month phoney war, but there was a rare outbreak of consensus last night between Ronny Deila, Ally McCoist and Anthony Stokes that the Parkhead side will go into the match as favourites.

Indeed, Deila went further when he suggested Rangers weren't the strongest team he could have landed.

"There were three good teams there and we didn't get the best one," said Deila. "Right now we are favourites. But we are used to being favourites in Scotland and we will be against Rangers unless something special happens in January."

Deila has never attended an Old Firm game, but he is well versed on the subject after a briefing from his old Stromsgodset team-mate, Vidar Riseth.

The Norwegian saw red in the notorious May 1999 fixture duing which referee Hugh Dallas was hit by a coin thrown from the stands and Dick Advocaat's Rangers side celebrated clinching their title win by conducting a huddle on the pitch. "He said it was emotional!" Deila said. "Do I expect it to be emotional? Yes, of course. But these games are why you train every day. We need to beat Rangers to win the League Cup and that's what we are aiming for. But before then we have 10 to 15 tough games."

McCoist, speaking to the Rangers club media, said he felt his players could be competitive in the fixture, but admitted it was something of a sideshow compared to getting out of the Championship.

"I'm delighted and judging by the reaction in the dressing room, the boys are happier than me," said Ibrox boss McCoist. "It's a great draw for us. Everyone has anticipated it and I don't think there's any doubt Celtic will start as favourites.

"We feel the boys have come a long way and we're now in a position where we feel we can compete with teams on our day.

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

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

Stokes, a substitute in that April 2012 match, which ended in a 3-0 Celtic win, conceded the mood in the dressing room had been buoyant.

"There were a few cheers," admitted Stokes. "It was the draw everyone wanted, being realistic. Fans, and ourselves: I think everyone misses the rivalry.

"There has probably been a build-up there the last three years because the people have missed it. I would imagine on the day it will be something special.

"And I would imagine we are favourites, to be honest with you. There is no point beating around the bush on that one."

Nine members of the Parkhead dressing room have previously experienced an Old Firm match, and the Irishman said last night that nothing can prepare you for it.

Stokes' first exposure to the fixture was controversial. He was booked for a wild foul on Sasa Papac within a minute.

"I was too wound up going into the game," he recalled. "I was more worried about the fixture than actually playing the football."

Meanwhile, Parkhead manager Deila said the club would not be pursuing a bid for Lassana Diarra, the former Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder, who is available as a free agent after leaving Lokomotiv Moscow.

But he confirmed Celtic were set to appoint his former physio from Stromsgodset, Bard Homstol.

He also said that club felt duty bound to appeal the seven-match ban handed down to Aleksandar Tonev for making an alleged racist remark to Aberdeen's Shay Logan.

"I feel very sorry for Aleksandar and we are going to support him," said Deila.

"This is word against word and for me, I believe him. He is very depressed about the decision.

We support him because this is not right."