HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN v ABERDEEN

JOHN ROBERTSON managed to outdo his counterpart, Jimmy Calderwood yesterday in terms of transfer activity and the Heart of Midlothian manager must hope that is an omen for today’s encounter. While Aberdeen failed to lure Fabian Caballero from Dundee, Mark Burchill, the former Celtic player, signed on at Tynecastle from Portsmouth. However, Hearts have insisted that Paul Hartley will not be joining Celtic. They put a £1 million price tag on the midfield player who was called into the Scotland squad yesterday. Sadly, Hartley has succumbed to a hamstring injury and will not play. Victory would allow Hearts to supplant Aberdeen in fourth place and that would please Jamie McAllister, the left-back, facing his old club. “Europe is our priority but it is always nice to get one over on your old team,” he said.

HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN

(probable 4-4-2): C Gordon - R Neilson, S Pressley, A Webster, J McAllister - N MacFarlane, P Stamp, R Pereira, J Hamill - L Miller, D Wyness.

ABERDEEN

(possible 4-4-2):- R Esson - M Hart, R Anderson, A Diamond, K McNaughton - R Foster, M Heikkinen, J Winter, C Clark - D Mackie, N Whelan.

Referee: M McCurry.

Taken from timesonline.co.uk