A fourth successive away day on Sunday sees the champions head back to Ibrox for a massive Scottish Cup quarter final.Rangers v Celtic – Scottish Cup Glasgow derby preview

Martin O’Neill insists Celtic’s big game character has set them up for a huge end to the season as the Hoops prepare for another trip behind enemy lines.

O’Neill will take his side into the lion’s den in today’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against Rangers, just a week after fighting back from 2-0 down to grab a crucial point at Ibrox. Celtic have also grabbed wins against Stuttgart in Germany and Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the last week-and-a-half, the latter firing them above Gers and into second in the table.

The champions have only had one free midweek in the eight weeks since the Irishman returned to the helm. And O’Neill reckons his players have shown proper resilience in the face of hostility and a crammed schedule to set themselves up for a shot at the double.

He said: “They have, and I think they should really get some credit for that. For the players standing up to it, I thought that Stuttgart was pretty hostile in that sense. They’re flying in the Bundesliga, so we did great there.

“But to come back to Rangers and show some character in the second half and then to follow up against Aberdeen.. it might not have been the greatest game in the world, the pitch is just trying to recover from pretty lousy weather.

“So for us to go and win the game was really important. It sets us up. And listen, at least after this we’re nearly down to just one fixture per week, which gives us a chance again if we can hang in. And that was the biggest concern about trying to stay in, hang in, in these matches until you got round to just one per week.”

The packed fixture list has meant O’Neill has had to chop and change his starting XI to keep his squad fresh.

But with the focus narrowing on a monster 11-week spell where the league title and Scottish Cup will be decided, the veteran boss has told his players permanent spots in his starting XI are up for grabs.

Starting at Ibrox this afternoon. He said: “Could very well be. If you can do really well at Ibrox, you give yourself a chance, don’t you? Of staying in the side.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill

“Coming back this time, it’s just been midweek, midweek, midweek… And therefore, in your mind, can the players continue this and keep going?

“I’m not even sure that I would have played the same side twice in two consecutive games. Now, when you’re down to the one fixture per week, then it will really very much matter how you perform.

“Because you’ve got time to recover, you’ve got time to think about it. You don’t have to worry about rotation as much. It’s the injuries that concern you and the form.”

O’Neill has Austin Trusty available for this afternoon’s cup tie which will see a bumper 7500 Hoops fans head to Ibrox.

But Celtic are sweating on the fitness of Kieran Tierney who began last week’s fightback with a 56th minute header.

Tierney’s Old Firm know-how along with skipper Callum McGregor was massive in hauling the Hoops back from the dead.

And O’Neill knows the importance of his big game players being available again this afternoon.

He said: “Oh of course. It only takes you 10 or 15 minutes to realise how important the senior boys are who really stand up to it, who have a view of it. We’ve got a number of loan players coming in for really their first taste of it, really.

“And so very important that the boys around them can come to terms with it. It’s an electric atmosphere. It’s one of the great fixtures in world football to me. And regardless of the calibre of the team’s play, it’s still a really great fixture.

“And for all the abuse that you would take at Ibrox, it’s still great.”