Scottish Premiership leaders Heart of Midlothian host Rangers at Tynecastle Park on Sunday.
Hearts lead the table by six points, while Rangers, in fourth place, are nine points behind. This match is crucial for Rangers to close the gap and maintain their title hopes.
Hearts vs Rangers – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 21st December.
- Kick-off: 1:30pm BST.
- Venue: Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh.
Hearts team news
Hearts face several injuries. Striker Pierre Landry Kabore is away with Burkina Faso for the Africa Cup of Nations. Midfielder Beni Baningime, defender Calem Nieuwenhof, goalkeeper Ageu, and defender Finlay Pollock are also out due to injuries.
Manager Derek McInnes hopes that Baningime and Nieuwenhof might be available for selection.
Rangers team news
Rangers have multiple injuries as well. Bailey Rice, Derek Cornelius, John Souttar, Nedim Bajrami, Oliver Antman, and Rabbi Matondo will miss the match. Midfielder Lyall Cameron is also unavailable.
Striker Bojan Miovski is a doubt after leaving the field during a Europa League match earlier this month. However, he was seen back in training on Tuesday, showing signs of recovery.
Manager Danny Röhl is expected to start Clinton Nsiala and Emmanuel Fernandez in central defense, with Jayden Meghoma and James Tavernier likely on the flanks.
Form
Hearts
Hearts are in strong form, having risen to the top of the table. After a tough stretch without wins, they celebrated back-to-back victories against Celtic and Falkirk. The 2-1 win over Celtic featured goals from Claudio Braga and Oisin McEntee, while they further solidified their lead with a 2-0 win over Falkirk.
Rangers
Rangers secured a vital 1-0 win against Hibernian, thanks to a goal from Emmanuel Fernandez. They remain unbeaten in their last nine league matches, with their last league loss occurring against Hearts in an earlier matchup.
Predicted lineups
Hearts: Schwolow; Steinwender, Halkett, Findlay, Milne; McEntee, Devlin; Kyziridis, Magnusson, Braga; Shankland
Rangers: Butland; Tavernier, Nsiala, Fernandez, Meghoma; Barron, Raskin; Moore, Diomande, Gassama; Chermiti
How to watch Hearts vs Rangers?
Fans in the UK can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, and Sky Sports Ultra HDR.
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