Rumour Mill: Ally McCoist | James Forrest

Ally McCoist kicks the ball during Rangers' 1-0 win over St Johnstone. Picture: Getty

Ally McCoist wants anyone but Celtic in the League cup semis

Celtic face Partick Thistle at Parkhead tonight while Aberdeen host Hamilton and Hibs take on Dundee United in the other quarter-final ties before the draw for the next round is made on Saturday. McCoist said: “When you get to the semis you can’t really pick and choose. We all know who our favourites would be to pick up the domestic trophies before the season starts.

“In that respect, I’d take anyone other than Celtic, to be honest. I don’t think it is rocket science to work out that it wouldn’t guarantee you a better chance of reaching the final. Celtic would be a very, very tough game. We would be underdogs but the underdogs can sometimes win.” (Various)

Ronny Deila wants James Forrest to prove he’s a £10 million player

Ronny Deila has revealed injury-jinxed James Forrest is gearing up to prove he’s a £10million talent. The Celtic winger has been out of action since August 16 and has only featured in three games since the Norwegian arrived to replace Neil Lennon. Deila though, knows he has a special talent on the books and is determined to get him back to the levels he was at two seasons ago before injury niggles hit. He said: “We want him playing at full potential so we are taking it slow. I can understand why they said he is a £10million player. He has things that few other players have in a one-v-one, skill and speed. What he needs is consistency.” (Express)

Manchester City slap £5 million price tag on John Guidetti

Manchester City have slapped a staggering £5 million January price tag on John Guidetti.

And Celtic could now face a major pre-contract battle in their bid to land their Swedish striker on a permanent basis.

Parkhead chiefs have secured Guidetti, left, on a season-long loan but his sparkling early form has led manager Ronny Deila to state he’d love to tie down the hitman on a long-term deal as soon as possible.

The 22-year-old’s contract at Man City expires at the end of this season but any hopes of a cut-price fee look to have been dashed by the cash demands from the English champions. And now, with any club free to speak to Guidetti from January 1, Celtic could face strong competition from other suitors also keen to land the talented attacker for free next summer. (Record)

Paul Paton and Mark Wilson included in Dundee United’s League Cup squad

Paul Paton and Mark Wilson have been included in the Dundee United squad for tonight’s League Cup quarter-final at Hibs. And by then there’s a chance an internal investigation into their conduct could be concluded.

The pair were left out of Saturday’s trip to Inverness Caley Thistle in the wake of a late night incident in Glasgow early last week in which Celtic goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska was allegedly assaulted. Since then, Paton and former Stenhousemuir goalkeeper Chris McCluskey have been arrested in connection with the matter and will appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court in a month.

Separate to that, United announced last week they were looking into the conduct of Paton and Wilson, the latter having been out socialising the night before taking part in a Development League fixture. That investigation has focused on whether any club rules were breached and it continued this afternoon with meetings between the players and senior club officials. And that means it is possible that chapter of the affair could be closed before the game. (Dundee Telegraph)

Hearts are poised to become the first club in Scotland to pay living wage

Hearts are poised to become the first club in Scotland to pay living wage after details of the proposal were outlined by chairwoman Anne Budge yesterday. The Gorgie club will move to ensure staff are paid £7.65 per hour - £1.05 above the minimum wage. (Mail)

News in brief:

• Partick star Kris Doolan wants to take Celtic down a peg after hearing boasts that they can sweep all before them this season. (Express)

• Gibraltar confirm they will play their Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland in Portugal. (Express)

• Ross County have agreed to release Melvin De Leeuw from his contract. (Express)

• Scotland are involved in talks over proposed Celtic cup with Ireland and Wales. (Mail)

Rumour Mill: Ally McCoist | James Forrest | Paul Paton