LIvingston manager Marvin Bartley tells BBC Scotland: "The players who are starting today deserve the right to play from the performance last Sunday but also the performances in training.

"I'm not interested in feelings, I'm interested in action.

"And I told the players that all week, you know, it's no good doing what you do against Rangers and coming today and think it's just going to happen.

"You know, mentally we have to be switched on to what we need to do, physically the players are in a good place, tactically we've got a plan and they need to go across that white line and implement it.

"But mentally they have to be in a good place, and if they're not going to find this game really, really difficult, because St Mirren and almost like a wounded animal.

"Off the back of that 5-0 defeat [at home to Motherwell], they're not just going to come here and roll over, so we need to be bang at."

Image source, SNS

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Home of the Set Fare Arena

Livingston haven't won in the league since 9 August; 203 days ago.

St Mirren haven't won on the road since 13 September; 168 days ago.

Destined for a draw?

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland at Tynecastle

If football stats are to be believed then a Hearts victory should be no more than a formality.

Hearts remain unbeaten at home in the league since last April and when you couple that with the fact Aberdeen haven't scored an away goal in the league this year then its easy to see why Derek McInnes' side are strong favourites.

But this is the business end of the season when nerves are jangling and strange things can happen.

Sir Alex Ferguson is here and the legendary former Dons boss should be in for treat.

Hibs will be feeling good after a first win at Celtic Park in 16 years and they've won both previous meetings with Dundee this term.

But the home side ended an even longer run without success last weekend, winning at Pittodrie for the first time since 2004, and Steven Pressley's side have markedly improved after a shaky start.

Prior to Christmas, the Dark Blues had three wins from 18. In the nine outings since, they've won four.

Hibs head coach David Gray says the decision to swap Martin Boyle for Dane Scarlett is a purely tactical choice.

"Dane's going to come in as recognised out and out number nine," he tells BBC Sport Scoland.

"It's always a difficult decision off the back of a really strong performance and result last week to make a change, but it's always based on the next game rather than always thinking you can't change your winning side, so the players know that.

"So the biggest thing for us is trying to build on that momentum.

"I think that's the challenge now, we massively raised our game for the Celtic game last week and got a very good three points.

"But this is the game now, can you go and back that up? It's a really difficult game against a good side, a really dangerous side that's been put together now. And can we then go three straight wins? That's the challenge for the players now. If we can do that, we put ourselves in a really strong position."

Image source, SNS

Dundee manager Steven Pressley tells BBC Sport Scotland: "I think over the period there's been a lot of consistency with our selection.

"That doesn't mean after every positive result that we will necessarily not make changes, but I just felt that the team performed very well, and that the questions that will be asked of us today. are the players that can supply the answers.

"We're obviously coming up against a very good Hibernian side on the back of a terrific result at Celtic Park.

"They're a club with good stability around them, good stability in this playing squad and good stability around their management team and they've progressed enormously under David [Gray]. So it's a real test for us.

"You know, we lost here in the opening game of the season and there's no guarantee on the result today but I would obviously like us to give a more impactful performance."

Motherwell have been so impressive this season, losing just once at Fir Park (take a bow Falkirk).

Only Hearts can boast a better tally of points at home.

They hit St Mirren for five in Paisley last week and go for a third successive league victory today, something that has eluded them since September 2023.

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou tells BBC Scotland: "There are some defensive things that we have to improve in order to order to keep producing clean sheets and make sure everyone works desperately hard enough to make sure we don't give anything away, not even opportunities.

"We have a goalkeeper who is good at saving us but we would prefer he has even less to do.

"The significance of a win today is the same as it has been all season, it's another three points. The points we've picked up so far have put us in a position that is very exciting for everyone.

"Lukas [Fadinger] has had an amazing season, served his time on the sidelines and is back now. Oscar [Priestman] has taken some massive steps, it was a hard decision."

Image source, SNS

Hearts are only the second non-Old Firm club to reach 60 points after 28 games in the top flight in the 21st century.

Aberdeen did it in 2014-15, making manager Derek McInnes the common denominator.

Image source, SNS

Marvin Bartley makes just one change to the LIvingston side that drew 2-2 with Rangers.

The suspended Cristian Montano is replaced by Babacar Fati.

St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson makes six changes to the side that were thrashed 5-0 by Motherwell last time out.

Richard King, Declan John, Jacob Devaney, Roland Idowu, Conor McMenain, and Jake Young all drop out of the starting XI.

They are replaced by Marcus Fraser, Jayden Richardson, Keanu Baccus, Scott Tanser, Dan Nlundulu, and Mikael Mandron.

Dundee boss Steven Pressley sticks with the same starting XI that were victorious away to Aberdeen, while his counterpart David Gray makes one change to his Hibs side.

Dane Scareltt comes in up front for Martin Boyle, who drops to the bench.

Image source, SNS

Kyrell Wilson misses out with an ankle injury so Finn Yeats come into the Falkirk attack.

The return of Liam Henderson at centre-back means Filip Lissah shifts back to the right in place of Keelan Adams.

Kilmarnock make just one change from the draw at Tannadice.

Aaron Tshibola is replaced by Bruce Anderson as Neil McCann looks to go 4-4-2 again.

Anderson partners Joe Hugill up front.

Image source, SNS

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou has made just one change from last weekend's 5-0 victory over St Mirren. Lukas Fadinger returns from suspension to replace Oscar Priestman in the starting line-up.

Jim Goodwin has made five alterations from their goalless draw against Aberdeen during the week. Ryan Strain, Julius Eskesen, Neil Farrugia, Dario Naamo and Max Watters all start. Kristijan Trapanovski, Zac Sapsford, Will Ferry, Emmanuel Agyei and Amar Fatah are on the bench.

Jamie McCart comes into the Hearts defence in place of the injured Stuart Findlay while last week's match winner Islam Chesnokov makes way for Pierre Landry Kabore. Chesnokov makes the bench.

For Aberdeen, there are three changes following their midweek 0-0 draw at Dundee United.

Dimitar Mitov returns in goal with Per Bratveit injured. In defence Liam Morrison starts instead of McIntyre, who misses out today, and Topi Keskinen takes over from Kenan Bilalovic on the wing. Bilalovic is among the substitutes.

Image source, SNS

After the big wait, no changes for Dundee...

Dundee: McCracken, Wright, Astley, Graham, Samuels, Hamilton, Congreve, Dhanda, Cotterill, Yogane, Murray.

Substitutes: O'Hara, Digby, Robertson, Hay, Monstma, Halliday, Reilly, Westley, Bevan,

Hibernian: Salinger, O'Hora, Bushiri, Iredale, Passlack, Chaiwa, Barlaser, N. Cadden, McGrath, Scarlett, Elding.

Substitutes: Smith, Youan, Boyle, Newell, Megwa, Andrews, Campbell, Garananga, Suto.

Ian Cathro was the Hearts boss when Aberdeen last left Tynecastle with a league victory back in 2017.

At home to the Dons in the top flight, Hearts are on an unbeaten run of 13, winning nine of those.

Still no sign of the Dundee team... Someone give the the social media admin a shake.

Maybe stuck in traffic? It seems a bit chaotic out there.

A full house of three o'clock starts in the second tier.

Leaders St Johnstone are stumbling a bit with just one win in their past five league outings. Partick Thistle are three points behind.

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

Falkirk: Bain, Lissah, Donaldson, Henderson, McCann, Spencer, Tait, Broggio, Miller, Yeats, Stewart.

Substitutes: Hogarth, Adams, Graham, Neilson, Cartwright, Allan, Ross, Williams, Hart.

Kilmarnock: Roos, Schjonning-Larsen, Brown, Deas, Thompson, Lyons, Watson, Kiltie, Curtis, Anderson, Hugill.

Substitutes: Stryjek, Brandon, Stanger, McKenzie, Polworth, Lowery, Tshibola, Watkins, Clescenco.