GRAEME MURTY is confident his Rangers kids can rise to the challenge against Celtic as they bid for derby success tomorrow afternoon.

The Light Blues host their Old Firm rivals at Auchenhowie in a Development League clash and are once again set to field a youthful line-up.

The Gers could face an experienced Hoops outfit on home soil and Under-20 boss Murty said: “It’s going to be a brilliant thing for them. We’ve got a job to try and shorten the gap between the youth teams and the first team, and we need to get a real high-level of challenge – very much like the first-team got in Leipzig [on Sunday].

“We don’t know exactly what team Celtic will put out, but potentially, it could be international footballers, and we want our players to take on that challenge and relish it.

“We want them to be exposed to that level and to stand up and give a good account of themselves.

“Obviously the rivalry speaks for itself, but what we need to do is make sure the players continue to believe in our process.

“They need to believe in their talent and they need to believe in our teammates, and it’s going to be challenging.

“What we’d like to do is accept the challenge and relish it, and the game is a test of what they have been learning.

“I can’t praise them enough for how far they have come in a short period of time.”

Supporters will be denied the chance to see the next generation of stars in action as the derby action unfolds behind closed doors at the Rangers Training Centre.

But Gers fans will be able to watch the Scottish Youth Cup clash with Falkirk on Sunday and Murty told rangers.co.uk: “It’s going to be my first experience of coaching at Ibrox and for a number of the players, it will be the first time they have had the chance to run out at Ibrox too.

“It’s one we are looking forward to and I hope we get a good crowd to see how our young players cope with the stresses and strains that come from playing in front of a crowd.”