Rodgers, Ikpeazu & Aberdeen v Hibs in focus

The Scottish Premiership is entering its post-split schedule

The Scottish Premiership has split, with all three matches in both the top and bottom halves kicking off the conclusive sprint to the end of the season on Saturday.

And, unless Celtic lose to Dundee United in the early kick-off at Tannadice, they will have been crowned champions before second-top Rangers visit St Mirren later in the afternoon.

So what else is there to look out for on a busy day of top-flight action?

Match of the day - Aberdeen v Hibernian (Sat, 15:00 BST)

Having secured their place in the Scottish Cup final, Aberdeen turn their attention to chasing down Hibernian for a third-placed finish.

Jimmy Thelin's side cannot afford a defeat that would leave them six points adrift of the Leith visitors with just four games to go.

The Dons did not perform at their best in the semi-final win over Heart of Midlothian, but it did stretch their unbeaten run to seven matches - and only Celtic have beaten them in their past 11 games.

However, Hibs overshadow that, with the runaway leaders their only nemesis - twice - in 23 outings in league and cup that have lifted David Gray's side out of the doldrums and off the bottom of the table since scoring twice in stoppage time to draw 3-3 with Aberdeen in an Easter Road thriller in November.

That was also the beginning of an 11-game unbeaten home run and they have since beaten the Dons twice - 3-1 at Pittodrie in December and 2-0 at Easter Road in February - and are on a run of seven straight home wins since sharing another six-goal thriller with Rangers.

However, the Dons will look to repeat last May's 4-0 win there that went some way to helping them finish top of the bottom six last season.

Only this time the stakes - European qualification places - are higher and both sides will be keen to take advantage of any dropped points by Dundee United, who are ahead of the Dons on goal difference but face that difficult home game at home to Celtic earlier in the afternoon.

Player to watch - Uche Ikpeazu (St Johnstone)

Whether or not Uche Ikpeazu proves to be St Johnstone's saviour, they certainly need one.

Having been swept aside 5-0 by Scottish Cup holders Celtic in Sunday's semi-final, it is back to the task of trying to retain their Premiership status against the odds as they visit eighth-placed Motherwell.

Five points behind Dundee at the foot of the table with five games remaining, time is running out for Simo Valakari's side.

The Finn has to find a spark from somewhere and the long-awaited return of Ikpeazu from injury might just be it.

A 15-minute cameo at Hampden marked the striker's Saints debut, 11 months and five knee operations since he signed after leaving Port Vale.

Now the London-born 30-year-old will hope to make a similar impact in Perth as he did in his first stint in the Scottish top flight with Hearts.

He initially became a bit of a folk hero, and wild speculation even linked him with Celtic and Rangers, but he would head off to Wycombe Wanderers in summer 2020 after losing his place at Tynecastle.

Ikpeazu has never been a regular scorer and has found the net just nine times for five clubs in the four years before his return to Scotland.

However, he has an imposing presence, can bring others into the game and could prove an effective partner for veteran Nick Clark, who has scored three goals and provided two assists in his past seven league appearances against Motherwell, despite only starting five of them.

Indeed, Clark has scored in both of his past two Premiership games at Fir Park.

Manager in spotlight - Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

What more is there for Brendan Rodgers to achieve in Scottish football?

The 52-year-old Northern Irishman had already proven himself at the highest level after Liverpool finished Premier League runners-up under his guidance before his first stint as Celtic manager.

However, he has come a long way since suffering an embarrassing 1-0 first-leg Champions League qualifying defeat by part-time Gibraltarian champions Lincoln Red Imps in his first competitive game in charge of the club he supported as a boy.

Celtic enjoyed an undefeated domestic campaign that first season and his 'invincibles' went on to achieve a second Scottish treble in a row before he left for Leicester City with his side again top of the pile in 2019.

After he returned to Celtic Park as a replacement for treble-winning Tottenham Hotspur-bound Ange Postecoglou, Rodgers' team were initially compared unfavourably with the style of play under the Australian as Rangers broke their dominance briefly by lifting the League Cup.

However, another league title and Scottish Cup were to follow and, this season, only Aberdeen in May's Hampden final stand between Celtic and, barring an improbable Premiership implosion, yet another treble.

Despite Rangers having experienced a season of turmoil, the Ibrox side have exposed some Celtic weakness in successive league Old Firm derby wins and Rodgers' side have also lost to resurgent Hibs and bottom side St Johnstone.

However, they bounced back with a 5-1 crushing of Kilmarnock and gained a five-goal Scottish Cup semi-final revenge over Saints on Sunday to set up another potential treble party.

A mere point at Tannadice on Saturday and the second trophy will be in the cabinet before another head-to-head with city rivals Rangers the following weekend.

Fourth-top United are themselves seeking a fourth consecutive win, but the omens for Jim Goodwin's side are not good considering the Tangerines have not beaten Celtic in 22 meetings since a 2-1 home win in December 2016 and they have not scored in the latest four, including a draw followed by two defeats this season.