Two teams fighting against relegation from the Scottish Premiership are set to come face to face on Sunday afternoon when Kilmarnock host Hearts at Rugby Park.
The hosts are 10th in the league with 14 points from 16 fixtures, while the visitors are sitting in 11th with 13 points from their opening 16 games.
Match preview
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After an impressive fourth-placed finish in the Scottish Premiership last season, following a remarkable climb from 10th the previous year, Kilmarnock have struggled to replicate that success and have endured a disappointing start to this campaign.
Derek McInnes, in charge since January 2022, has guided the side to just four wins from their opening 23 matches across all competitions, losing 11 and drawing eight in that time.
Those results have seen Killie crash out of the qualifiers for both the Europa League and Conference League, while they place 10th in the league table with 14 points, just two points above bottom-of-the-table Hibernian.
Killie initially went winless in their first six league games, with three losses and three draws, before briefly seeming to turn their form around by winning three of the next four, only to falter again with four defeats and two draws in their last six matches.
With Kilmarnock now coming up against relegation-rivals Hearts, McInnes will be desperate for his side to end their winless run and secure three points that could be crucial to their survival hopes.
Hearts, meanwhile, enter this clash revitalised under new boss Neil Critchley, who took over as permanent manager following the dismissal of Steven Naismith, with Liam Fox serving as interim boss during the transition.
Critchley took over in mid-October with the Jambos having recorded just one win from their first 12 matches, alongside two draws and nine defeats, including a disappointing elimination from the Europa League playoff round at the hands of Viktoria Plzen.
The manager had an immediate impact on Hearts as they beat St Mirren 4-0 in his first game, and Critchley now heads into this one with a record of four wins, two draws and six losses from 12 matches.
Hearts are now aiming to rise out of the drop zone for the first time since the beginning of the campaign, with a victory potentially lifting them as high as eighth depending on results elsewhere.
Team News
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Kilmarnock are set to be without Stuart Findlay due to an ankle injury that is expected to keep him out until the new year, while Kyle Vassell and Robby McCrorie are also doubts after coming off injured in the last game.
Elsewhere, an encouraging performance in the 1-1 draw with high-flying Dundee United last time out could mean McInnes opts to name a similar side for this one.
Hearts will remain without the services of Calem Nieuwenhof, who is yet to make his first appearance this season due to a hamstring injury, while Gerald Taylor and Stephen Kingsley are also ruled out.
After falling to defeat against Copenhagen in their last match, Critchley could return to the side that defeated Dundee 2-0 in their most recent Scottish Premiership fixture.
Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
O'Hara; Mayo, Wright, Deas; Armstrong, Polworth, Ndaba, Murray; Lyons; Watkins, Anderson
Hearts possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Oyegoke, Halkett, Rowles, Penrice; Devlin, Boateng; Drammeh, Shankland, Spittal; Wilson
We say: Kilmarnock 1-2 Hearts
Both sides have suffered at the beginning of this season, but with Hearts looking revitalised under Critchley in past matches, while the hosts are winless in their last six, we believe the visitors will win here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
