Hearts' big test and cup final rehearsal - Scottish Premiership preview

After the euphoria, superlatives and hysterics that accompanied Scotland's qualification for the World Cup finals, the nation returns to a domestic scene with a renewed thirst for drama.

Five Scottish Premiership fixtures on Saturday plus one on Sunday will not be so decisive as the win over Denmark, but they will be a further guide to the destiny of the title and relegation battles.

Will Heart of Midlothian maintain their lead at the top over still-managerless reigning champions Celtic, who face a Premier Sports Cup final dress rehearsal against St Mirren? Will Rangers continue their improvement under new boss Danny Rohl? And will any of the teams at the bottom end dismal recent runs?

Hearts' lead at the top of the table was cut to seven points after being held to a draw at home to Dundee United last time out, leading some to doubt their ability to maintain a long-term title challenge.

A trip to Pittodrie will be a major test of that and there will be additional pressure on former Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes' side if reigning champions Celtic have already managed to reduce the arrears further after their trip to face St Mirren on Saturday.

Especially so given the Edinburgh side have failed to win in 13 visits to Aberdeen since an Abiola Dauda goal separated the sides in May 2016.

Indeed, their 0-0 draw in their last meeting at Pittodrie this May ended a run of nine straight defeats.

This Hearts side are a different beast, though, and remain unbeaten in 10 games overall, including their latest four away from home.

Lawrence Shankland's seven goals - making him the Premiership's top scorer this season - is just one less than the whole Aberdeen team have managed and the striker heads to the north east on a high after his goal helped beat Denmark 4-2 at Hampden to secure World Cup qualification for Scotland on Tuesday.

The Dons have, though, managed to lift themselves off the bottom of the table in recent weeks and are unbeaten in three outings as they look to reverse the 2-0 defeat they suffered at Tynecastle in their season opener in August.

However, Jimmy Thelin's eighth-placed side have still only managed one victory in their latest five.

It is a bit early for January transfer speculation to break out, but Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson's name has cropped up more than anyone else in the last few weeks.

Little wonder, considering the 20-year-old is out of contract next summer and is one of the few academy products to have become a regular starter in the Premiership in recent seasons.

Watson also started for Scotland Under-21s in Tuesday's 1-0 win over Bulgaria at Fir Park on Wednesday as newspaper reports linked him with interest from Aberdeen, Celtic and Rangers.

From winning in Motherwell, he will hope to help his club side beat Motherwell on Saturday and narrow the five-point gap between themselves and the sixth-placed visitors - should he recover from a knock picked up on international duty.

To do so, Stuart Kettlewell's side will have to end a run of five straight defeats - and against a side who have been receiving plaudits for their style of play under Jens Berthel Askou.

Motherwell sold the last big academy product to leave the Premiership when Lennon Miller joined Udinese this summer, but that has not prevented his former team-mates losing just two of their 11 league matches - their fewest at this stage of a season since 2009-10.

However, Kilmarnock left Fir Park in August with a point and Well have not won at Rugby Park in six visits since February 2021, the latest three without scoring.

Kettlewell is not the only manager to be facing if not a crisis, certainly a few question marks over recent form.

Despite Kilmarnock's run of five defeats, his side still remain above Dundee and Livingston.

October's surprise win over Celtic had hinted at better times for the Dark Blues, but that is the only time Steven Pressley's side have avoided defeat in their latest six outings.

Few will expect Dundee's fortunes to turn at Easter Road on Saturday, when they face a third-top Hibernian side they have not beaten in 19 visits to Leith since October 2001 and who won the reverse fixture 2-1 at Dens Park in August.

Dundee have faced the most shots (182) and shots on target (72) in the Premiership this season, while only Livingston (23) have conceded more goals than the Dee (22) this term.

David Martindale's side face an equally uphill task as they visit a fourth-top Rangers side who have won all three league games under new head coach Danny Rohl.

The Premiership's basement side have gone 11 games without a win, have never won in 25 previous visits to Ibrox and have lost 20 of their 22 meetings since their last win over Rangers in September 2018.

Meanwhile, although St Mirren have a Premier Sports Cup final to look forward to, before then Stephen Robinson has the task of ending a run of just one point from their latest five league games that leaves his side only above third-bottom Kilmarnock on goal difference.

Robinson will be doing well to end that run in Paisley on Saturday in a dress-rehearsal for their trip to Hampden, although Celtic could have a new man in charge to replace caretaker and fellow Northern Irishman Martin O'Neill by the time they head to the national stadium.

The Buddies have lost 12 of their last 14 meetings with Celtic in all competitions since their last league win in September 2022 and the Glasgow side have won on their latest five visits, all by at least two goals.