Search for form at Easter Road; Shankland & Docherty in focus

A reduced weekend Scottish Premiership card as Aberdeen, Celtic, Motherwell and Rangers vie for a place in the Premier Sports Cup final, is spread over Saturday and Sunday.

Here are some names and games to look out for.

Game of the weekend - Hibernian v Dundee United (Sun, 15:00)

Sunday's match at Easter Road brings together two sides eager to get back to winning ways.

With a winless October, Hibernian's last victory came all the way back on 14 September - a run of five games.

Dundee United's return to the top flight has been solid, but narrow defeats by Aberdeen and Motherwell in the past week have dragged them down the table ever so slightly.

United, who are unbeaten in four visits to Easter Road, are fifth, eight points above second-bottom Hibs.

And, if their last meeting is anything to go by - the Tangerines' 3-2 win at Tannadice, this fixture could be a treat.

Player to watch - Lawrence Shankland (Heart of Midlothian)

Lawrence Shankland (right) drew a blank on Wednesday against Kilmarnock

Fifteen appearances into his season, last season's Premiership top scorer, Lawrence Shankland, has just the one goal to show for his efforts so far this campaign.

The 29-year-old Scotland striker is in the last season of his current Heart of Midlothian contract and will inevitably be the subject of speculation come January.

In the meantime, can he rediscover his form of old? St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Saturday is his next chance to do so.

Shankland has happy memories of this fixture, having scored in six of his last seven appearances against St Johnstone, including each of the last three.

He has never scored in four in a row against the same team in the league and, facing a side Hearts have beaten six times in a row, including three in Perth, appears an ideal chance to do so.

Another goal would not only be welcome for a side seeking their first Premiership away win in 10 trips from Tynecastle but would be timely for the forward given Scotland fixtures against Croatia and Poland are on the horizon.

It is perhaps the most testing time of Shankland's Hearts career, but with 60 goals for the club already under his belt, he has proved time and time again he can deliver.

Manager watch - Tony Docherty (Dundee)

Like Hibs and United, Dundee are on the hunt for a win after a disappointing week in which two defeats have taken their total to six in seven outings.

Looking to end a run of one win in nine is perhaps not the ideal time for Tony Docherty to renew his rivalry with old colleague Derek McInnes - just as the Kilmarnock boss is also again being touted for a return to Rangers should the Ibrox club axe Philippe Clement.

The pair worked together at Rugby Park and previously at Aberdeen and have had some eventful games in opposition over the past 18 months.

However, while very little has separated the sides, including Kilmarnock's thrilling three-goal comeback to win 3-2 at Dens Park last month, Docherty is yet to record a win over McInnes in six attempts.

Ending Kilmarnock's four-game unbeaten run at Dens - and six overall against them - could be just the tonic the Dark Blues need.

Dundee have been shorn the driving creative force of Luke McCowan since the midfielder's August move to Celtic, but their downfall at times this season has not been so much not scoring as not holding on to leads.

That was the case not just the case against Kilmarnock in early October but also against St Johnstone at the weekend.

The Ayrshire side are coming off a valuable win away to Hearts in midweek and are sure to test Docherty's men again.