Will Hearts extend lead? Hot Hoilett & cold Kilmarnock

Derek McInnes, Junior Hoilett and Stuart Kettlewell could take centre stage on Saturday

Only half the Scottish Premiership is in action this weekend because of the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals, but it gives those who are playing on Saturday a chance to steal a march on some of their rivals at both ends of the table.

In particular, Heart of Midlothian can stretch their lead at the top, while Dundee and Livingston have the opportunity to make up ground at the bottom.

So where might the main stories emerge?

Game of weekend - Heart of Midlothian v Dundee

On paper, Dundee's visit to Tynecastle should be a home banker.

However, it will produce the most significant result whatever the outcome.

Win and Hearts will move nine points ahead of inactive Celtic.

Draw or lose and there will be further question marks about the Edinburgh side's ability to turn their excellent start to the season into a genuine title challenge after Wednesday's 2-2 draw away to St Mirren allowed the reigning champions to narrow the gap.

It could have been worse given St Mirren were twice deservedly in front - and Derek McInnes' side did show commendable grit at the ground where they suffered a League Cup penalty shootout loss in August.

Their six-game winning streak was ended, but they remain unbeaten in eight games since that cup exit.

Hosting a side sitting second bottom without a win in five trips away from Dens Park would seem like an ideal chance to get their show back on the road.

However, Dundee won 1-0 on their last visit to Tynecastle in April.

Since then, Hearts are unbeaten in nine home games, with only Motherwell denying them a win, and have gone 14 Premiership games overall without defeat.

Indeed, their 26 points this season equals their best after 10 top-flight games this century and two more wins are needed to keep pace with the 2005-06 campaign that was derailed by the surprise sacking of manager George Burley.

The incentive for former Hearts caretaker Steven Pressley's visitors, though, is moving up three places to eighth should they secure back-to-back wins at Tynecastle for the first time since December 1998.

Player to watch - Junior Hoilett (Hibernian)

Junior Hoilett (left) has a habit of scoring against Livingston

Hibernian missed a chance to consolidate third place on Wednesday as they were overtaken by victorious visitors Rangers, but they will be hot favourites to return there after Saturday's short trip to Livingston, who prop up the table.

They squandered a few chances, including a late penalty, but Junior Hoilett could well be the man to return them to scoring - and winning ways - given the veteran's record against David Martindale's hosts.

At 35, the former Blackburn Rovers, Queens Park Rangers, Cardiff City and Reading forward tends to come off the bench these days, but he was clinical in his 20-minute cameo in Hibs' last meeting with Livingston.

Hoilett scored twice - his only goals this season - in the 4-0 rout at Easter Road just two weeks ago.

Indeed, half of his eight Premiership goals have come against Livingston and he has been directly involved in six goals in just three league appearances against the West Lothian side - having also scored two goals and provided two assists while with Aberdeen.

Manager in spotlight - Stuart Kettlewell (Kilmarnock)

It is not exactly crisis time for Stuart Kettlewell considering his side sit eighth in the Premiership and will leapfrog hosts Falkirk and Dundee United into the top six with victory on Saturday.

However, three consecutive defeats mean his side have only won twice in 10 league games since he took charge.

That is the same number his two predecessors - Tommy Wright and Derek McInnes - managed at the same mark.

Both of them won their 11th game, with the last Killie boss to win as few as two of his first 11 matches being Lee Clark in 2016.

Kettlewell's side have won just three of their latest 12 outings overall, but Sunday's 3-1 defeat by Rangers was only their first away defeat in six this season.

Falkirk had their three-game run without defeat ended emphatically by Celtic on Wednesday, but they remain unbeaten in three at home.

So a tight affair is anticipated for the first meeting of the sides since Kilmarnock won 3-1 at home in Challenge Cup in September 2021 - and the first at Falkirk Stadium since the Bairns eased to a 3-0 win in the League Cup a year earlier.