KRIS BOYD reckons Rangers have the goals and the guile to keep taking Premiership scalps in the League Cup - including that of arch-rivals Celtic.

The Ibrox outfit have been drawn at home against St Johnstone in the last eight of the tournament after winning at Falkirk on Tuesday, with Boyd claiming their victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the previous round has given them the confidence to mix it with teams from the top-level.

Celtic will meet Partick Thistle in the quarter-finals after beating Hearts, with anticipation growing over the possibility of an Old Firm derby taking place in the latter stages.

Boyd insists Ally McCoist's men are ready for anyone and suspects Celtic's busy schedule, marrying European commitments with domestic action, means this would be a decent time to come up against them.

Boyd said: "We feel we have the experience and players who can cause anybody problems.

"Celtic are in a Europa League campaign, which involves them coming back from long trips on a Thursday to be faced with long trips to Inverness or elsewhere on a Sunday.

"The circumstances are difficult for them and we feel this is a chance, if we do get them, to put up a challenge.

Boyd knows Rangers will need to up their game to get past St Johnstone in the quarter-final tie at Ibrox next month.

The striker said: "It is a challenge we will look forward to. It is a challenge to this club to show that it should be back at the top. I hope it is just a matter of time until we get there."

Boyd has currently gone five games without a goal and has only scored in two of the 11 matches he has been involved in since returning to Rangers in the summer.

Cup games against Clyde and Queen's Park have brought the five strikes he currently has to his credit, but he says his luck will change for the better soon .

"I will keep getting myself in the positions to miss chances, score chances, whatever," he said.

"In the Raith game, I missed a few, but I have kind of fed off scraps in the others. I have set the standard with the way I have finished over the last nine or 10 years and feel I should have scored.

"I will keep plugging away and getting myself into positions to get back on the goal trail and I know it won't be far round the corner.

"It is a matter of time. As long as you keep working hard and getting into positions, it will change pretty soon.

"I hope it will be on Monday night because we have a massive game against Hibs.

"I feel they will be in the race for the title by the end of the season.

"It might have been a bit of a difficult start for them, but they showed they are a good team and caused us problems the last time they came to Ibrox."

Kenny Miller is edging closer to returning from a calf problem and Boyd believes having him back in the fray will ease his own difficulties.

However, he admits that, with Dean Shiels scoring against Falkirk and Jon Daly fit again, he needs to start hitting the net quickly before McCoist considers leaving him out of the team.

"Kenny is going to help anybody," said Boyd. "He is going to help the team, he is going to help me and help the midfield. He is an international player and has done it at the highest level.

"We had a great partnership last time. He has been injured, and in and out of the team since the start of the season and we have competition for places as well.

"Nicky Clark came in and did well, Jon Daly is back now and Dean Shiels came in against Falkirk and scored.

"I base myself on goals and I know I have to start scoring if I am going to keep myself in the team.

"I might be doing other things better than I did in the past, but I need to start scoring goals."

Boyd has also made it clear he will not be turning to superstition to help break his duck.

"There were no superstitions when I was scoring goals and doing things different might lead to something else," he said. "I will train and prepare the way I do.

"I am not going to hide away from the fact I missed chances and won't hide on the pitch. It will turn as long as I keep doing the right things.

"I have been through stages like this in my career before, but we are talking five or six games and that is a first for me. Those are the standards you set. I was scoring more or less every game first time round and I need to get back to doing that.

"Some of the chances I have missed have not been like me.

"There is no greater feeling than scoring goals for this club and I want to get back to doing that."