The Scottish Premiership returns this weekend following the conclusion of the international break, with Hearts set to take on Rangers in a bumper clash at 12.30pm this Saturday.
The hosts currently sit in third place and could go level on points with second-placed Rangers with a victory, whilst the visitors could overtake rivals Celtic and move in to top spot ahead of the 3pm kickoffs if they secure three points.
Match preview
Hearts have made a strong start to the campaign under Robbie Neilson, winning four, drawing one and losing two of their first seven games of the 2022-23 league season.
Having won all three of their home matches, it is fair to say Tynecastle has maintained its reputation as a difficult place to go for many divisional rivals in recent months.
Goals have been plentiful for the Jambos on their own patch, with nine in three outings creating belief that a special season could be in order if results continue.
It is away from home where they have perhaps struggled to excel, losing out to Celtic and Livingston alongside dropping two points against Hibernian in the Edinburgh derby.
Nevertheless, the Edinburgh outfit managed to claim their first win on the road in 2022-23 in their last league fixture with a Lawrence Shankland effort and a double from Alan Forrest propelling them to a 3-0 victory away to Motherwell, setting themselves up nicely for the visit of Rangers.
Despite their positive start to proceedings, Saturday afternoon will be viewed as a marker of how far Hearts have come as they look to take a huge step forward in their hunt for European qualification.
On the other hand, Rangers take to the field this weekend knowing nothing less than a win will do due to the opportunity to top the Scottish Premiership, even if it is only for a brief spell this weekend.
Though Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side started the season in relatively comfortable fashion, an ill-tempered 2-2 draw away to Hibernian and a 4-0 thumping defeat by rivals Celtic have left much room for improvement upon the conclusion of the international break.
In their last fixture, Rangers managed to record a 2-1 victory at home to Dundee United which has helped to kickstart momentum ahead of a busy period in the Scottish Premiership.
Going into Saturday, the margin for error will be few and far between against an opponent that has shown consistency and an ability to be difficult to play against on a regular basis at their home ground.
The visitors will need to show resolve and character in order to claim their desired result this weekend in the capital.
Team News
Hearts will once again be without striker Liam Boyce, who is a long-term absentee due to an ACL injury that will keep him out until well into the new year.
Craig Halkett misses out due to a hamstring injury, whilst fellow defender Kye Rowles will not be available owing to a metatarsal fracture.
Beni Baningime continues to miss out for the hosts as he works his way back to full fitness from a cruciate ligament injury.
On the other hand, Ianis Hagi, John Souttar, Jon McLaughlin, Filip Helander and Nnamdi Ofoborh are all definitely ruled out for Rangers as they face a multitude of injury problems.
Leon King is also unavailable for the visitors after picking up a knock on duty with Scotland U21's. Tom Lawrence may come into contention for the first time since August, whilst Kemar Roofe may be available after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Alex Lowry is nearing fitness, but remains a doubt for the clash.
Hearts possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Atkinson, Neilson, Kingsley, Cochrane; Devlin, Haring; Forrest, Kiomourtzoglou, McKay; Shankland
Rangers possible starting lineup:
McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Sands, Barisic; Lundstram, Jack; Arfield, McCann, Kent; Colak
We say: Hearts 1-1 Rangers
In a powderkeg clash that could have severe ramifications at the top end of the table, both Hearts and Rangers will be desperate to get three points on the board to further propel their season ambitions.
In light of this, a stalemate may be the most likely result. Hearts' good form, coupled with the visitors still having several players out due to injury could have a big part to play and make it difficult to separate the sides on the day.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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