Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland at Fir Park

Statistics will tell us that a home win should be an absolute banker here at Fir Park.

Motherwell have just the one defeat in their last 16 matches and you have to go way back to mid-October since the Well defence last conceded a goal in front of their home support.

In total contrast, Kilmarnock are without a win of any sort in their last 16 matches, with 12 defeats in that horrendous run of form.

But the only stat that will count today will be the scoreline come five this evening and with both clubs seeking wins for different reasons we should have lots of goalmouth action to warm us up on a chilly day in Lanarkshire.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland at Pittodrie

To say both Aberdeen and Livingston are in desperate need of a win is an understatement.

The eighth-placed Dons are without a victory in six league games and without a goal in their last four, leaving their hopes of achieving their minimum objective – of getting into the top six – in real jeopardy.

Livi’s plight is worse – it is 22 games without a win across all competitions for them, leaving them unsurprisingly bottom of the table.

But they are just three points behind second-bottom Kilmarnock – so all is not lost for David Martindale’s side.

The top four are all in opposition in the fourth tier, with leaders Spartans visiting third-placed Clyde.

Second-top East Kilbride are at home to fourth-placed Stranraer.

• Clyde v Spartans
• Dumbarton v Elgin City
• East Kilbride v Stranraer
• Edinburgh City v Annan Athletic
• Forfar Athletic v Stirling Albion

Hibernian head coach David Gray tells BBC Scotland: "Illness has played a big part in our team today. We've still got a strong starting XI and a strong bench; there's certainly no excuse.

"It's clearly really disappointing to go out the cup, so we're looking for the reaction straight away, but we're very quick to remind the players that our league form is very good at the moment, undefeated in five.

"But that's the beauty of football, you've always got an opportunity to move on quickly.

"Today, we play a team directly below us, but we're always trying to chase the team in front of us."

Image source, SNS

Livingston manager David Martindale tells BBC Scotland: "Cristian [Montano] and Scott [Arfield] came off with muscle injuries through the week and this game has just come around too quick for them.

"That's us unbeaten in the last three, albeit beat on penalties last Saturday. I'm looking for positives, I see a lot of growth within the group, I think we've been really unlucky.

"There's a few decisions went against us, but we're on the right track. We're missing a few big players today, but it's still a really healthy bench."

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann tells BBC Scotland: "Two tactical changes and David Watson is suspended.

"Motherwell are excellent in their work ethic and we need to match that. Jens has got them playing with a lot of confidence.

"Since we've come in, Billy [Dodds] and I, the attitude has been first class.

"We need to start scoring goals freely. We need to give our side a bit more confidence as well. We've managed to get that in a short space of time, so now we need to loosen the jar a bit."

Image source, SNS

Only four points separate the top four in the third tier as Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who took over at the top on goal difference in midweek, host fourth-placed Alloa Athletic.

Second-top Stenhousemuir visit bottom side Kelty Hearts, while third-top Queen of the South are away to East Fife.

• East Fife v Queen of the South
• Hamilton Academical v Cove Rangers
• Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Alloa Athletic
• Montrose P-P Peterhead
• Kelty Hearts v Stenhousemuir

Falkirk manager John McGlynn tells BBC Scotland: "We need to compete for sure. Hibs are a threat from set plays and today we're a little lighter in those areas. Filip Lissah is missing out today; he has a problem with his hip, so we'll have to be good at defending.

"We want to take the game to Hibs, we want to try to cause some problems. We're in a good place. The boys are playing with confidence - we want to keep adding points on the board. It's the start of the last round of 11 games before the split.

"We've got to compete well, set the tone very early. Boyle and Bowie are an absolute handful, but our defenders have coped with most."

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou tells BBC Scotland: "We rotated a little bit last time to give some players game time and rest others.

"We have some fresh players who have trained really well and a team that's competitive.

"I would expect a difficult game here. We played many tight games but have been good at controlling them.

"An opponent who comes here with not many expecting them to get a good result. They will think they have everything to win and to go for it and I expect that.

"I believe they have individual quality and now a new manager who has had another full week to build."

Image source, SNS

There's already been one game in the second-tier this weekend, with Arbroath and Greenock Morton battling the North Sea winds as well each other in a 1-1 draw at Gayfield. Watch the highlights below.

Second-top Partick Thistle will look to increase the gap between themselves and Arbroath when they host fourth-top Ayr United in the division's game of the day.

However, the biggest crowd is likely to be in Perth as leaders St Johnstone a Dunfermline Athletic side fresh from their Scottish Cup win over Hibs.

• Airdrieonians v Ross County
• Partick Thistle v Ayr United
• Raith Rovers v Queen's Park
• St Johnstone v Dunfermline Athletic

Two sides meet at Falkirk Stadium following contrasting Scottish Cup fortunes - the hosts knocking out league leaders Hearts in Edinburgh after a penalty shoot-out while Hibs suffered a shock exit away to second-tier Dunfermline.

It was 2-2 the last time Hibs visited in September, while David Gray's side eased to a 3-0 home win in December.

Two games were postponed this morning because of waterlogged pitches.

In addition to that top-flight game at Tannadice, the League 1 match between Montrose and Peterhead at Links Park was called off.

Intriguingly, Peterhead responded on X with an appeal for opponents, stating: "The team have a slot booked at Garioch Sports Centre in Inverurie from 12pm to 1.30pm if any local team is available for a game."

No pub team jokes please!

Aberdeen interim manager Peter Leven tells BBC Scotland: "Toyosi's {Olusanya] paperwork went through. Good to have him on the bench. Per [Kristian Bratveit]'s paperwork isn't done yet and Liam [Morrison] has only trained yesterday.

"I brought Kenan [Bilalovic] in to give us pace on the sides. Mats [Knoester] comes back in. Mitchell [Frame] did really well, so giving him his debut. He'll give us energy going forward and is a natural left-back.

"Dante [Polvara] wasn't available to be in the squad today - that's all I can say on that.

"We've got to build on the cup win, start fast, get after Livingston and nullify their strengths and take our chances. You've got to take advantage of home games."

Image source, SNS

Falkirk are missing Filip Lissah after the defender picked up an injury against Hearts last weekend.

The centre-half is replaced with Keelan Adams, who makes his first start since December.

Henry Cartwright also makes way for winger Kyrell Wilson.

Defender Lewis Neilson makes the bench on his return from injury.

Hibs midfielder Josh Mulligan will be out for a few weeks after picking up an ankle knock in last weekend's Scottish Cup defeat by Dunfermline.

Head coach David Gray makes four other changes, with Grant Hanley, Darren Barlasser, Jack Iredale, Miguel Chaiwa and Martin Boyle all start.

Warren O'Hora, Joe Newell, Junior Hoilett and Thibault Klidje drop to the bench.

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann tweaks his midfield after the Scottish Cup defeat by Dundee, a result that extended their winless run to 16 matches.

Greg Kiltie returns, while Tom Lowery and Liam Polworth also come into the side.

Jack Thomson, David Watson and Michael Schjonning-Larsen miss out.

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou makes five changes to the side that started last weekend's Scottish Cup victory over Ross County.

Calum Ward starts in goal, replacing Matty Connelly.

Paul McGinn and Emmanuel Longelo come into the back line, with John Koutroumbis and Liam Gordon on the bench.

Winger Elijah Just and midfielder Lukas Fadinger also return as forwards Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Luca Ross drop out.

Eythor Bjorgolfsson, the striker signed from Swedish club Umea, could make his debut off the bench.

Aberdeen hand a first start to former Celtic 19-yar-old Mitchell Frame, who is one of four Dons' changes.

Mats Knoester has recovered from illness and replaces Dante Polvara at the back, with Emmanuel Gyamfi dropping out altogether.

In midfield, Graeme Shinnie returns to replace Leighton Clarkson in midfield, while Kenan Bilalovic replaces Nicolas Milanovic out wide.

Former St Mirren forward Toyosi Olusanya, who has arrived on loan from Houston Dynamo, is named on the bench, but there's no room for Queens Park Rangers loanee Liam Morrison.

Livingston make two changes from the midweek draw with St Mirren, with Cristian Montano and veteran midfielder Scott Arfield dropping out of the squad completely.

Both were replaced at half-time in that game. Samson Lawal replaced Montano on Tuesday and he comes straight in at left-back.

Playing behind Robbie Muirhead up top will be Stevie May.

Guinea-Bissau left-back Babacar Fati, their new acquisition from SJK in Finland's top flight, could make a debut from the bench.

Falkirk: Bain, Adams, Allan, Henderson, McCann, Spencer, Wilson, Yeats, Tait, Miller, Stewart.

Substitutes: Hogarth, Nesbitt, Ross, Cartwright, Marsh, Williams, Graham, Donaldson, Neilson.

Hibernian: Sallinger, Hanley, Bushiri, Obita, Megwa, Iredale, McGrath, Barlasser, Chaiwa, Bowie, Boyle.

Substitutes: Smith, Levitt, Youan, Alasana, Newell, Hoilett, Molotnikov, Joe McGrath.