More good stuff from Hearts, and James Penrice is involved again as he beats his man and gets to the by-line.

After a scramble at the edge of the box, it's pulled back to Blair Spittal. His attempt was heading for the goal, but it's a good block from Dan Casey.

A very early chance for St Johnstone!

Nectarios Traintis is forced to clear the ball behind for a corner following a promising attack from the hosts.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland at Pittodrie

As the snow pitters down from the Granite City sky, the white ball has been replaced by a yellow one.

Hearts look up for this.

A lovely move puts James Penrice away down the left, his floated delivery is met by Liam Boyce but his header goes over the bar.

And they're off...

Ross County's Don Cowie tells BBC Scotland: "It's a really intense period, another game in a couple days' time and I spoke about how important the whole squad would be. It's just a bit of freshness.

"[Nohan Kenneh] had a big impact the last time he was at our club. He's eager to play, he's had a frustrating six months at Hibs. I feel comfortable putting him straight in, he looks ready to go.

"We had a very good performance at Dundee, got a bit fortunate against Hearts but showed great character to get a point. Aberdeen are going through a wee spell without the victories but the same personnel who were excellent in the first few months of the season."

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Hibernian manager David Gray tells BBC Scotland: "It's about starting this year the way we finished last year.

"It's a good opportunity today to keep that going. It'll be a tough test coming up here today but one we're looking forward to.

"We need to guard against complacency because we know how quickly things can go the other way.

"We've got an opportunity today if results go our way and we do the business, we can get into that top six, which is where we need to be. We're definitely looking up the table now, which is positive."

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari tells BBC Scotland: "We need every match, every match is an opportunity.

"We need to start picking up points, we need to concentrate on the football and we need to control how we play as a team.

"We need to do the things we have been practising, even if it doesn't work the first or the second time, we need to keep doing it because that builds confidence.

"We know it's a tough opponent. We know what we can do now we just have to go out there and do it."

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson tells BBC Scotland: "We go in with a real positive mindset. We lost last week due to two lapses in concentration.

"We come here today on a good run of form, but it's a difficult venue and we have to find that mentality to grind out a result.

"Owen [Oseni's] very similar to when we brought Toyosi Olusanya in - a project. Played at lower levels, scored a lot of goals. He's got pace and we believe he'll get better with time.

"We didn't pay the numbers that were quoted in certain newspapers but we feel a small investment could be a big reward in the coming years.

"Usually it's who makes the least mistakes in these games so our concentration levels have to be high."

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland he wants the club to build on the success of last year in the first round of 2025 fixtures.

“I think it was a significant year for us," he said.

"You don't always get a trophy for your rewards but it was so rewarding in terms of the satisfaction we all took as a club. Everybody put a huge effort into getting into that European spot from where we were as a club.

“We remind the players today that 2025, the first game of this year, can be something significant. I don't want us to be irrelevant in the league, I want us to have an impact on the season. I think it's important for us to see the beauty in that and how rewarding it is. We come to work every day, we work hard, we prepare to try and get some sort of tangible success.

"For us to work towards being in Europe again, being a top-six team is what we're here for and hopefully today can be a step towards it."

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Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell tells BBC Scotland Lennon Miller will be out for the next two months with the ankle issue he picked up in the draw with Rangers.

"He's going to be longer than a month," said Kettlewell. "He's got a hairline fracture in his ankle, which is going to keep him out for an extended period of time.

"He's done this twice now, with Lennon being Lennon he tried to stay on. Last season he had a fracture in his patella but tried to finish the game.

"But in getting that yellow card it looks like he's sustained a pretty significant injury, which is going to keep him out somewhere around six-to-eight weeks."

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Hearts head coach Neil Critchley confirms Lawrence Shankland's calf issue will keep him out for the next while.

"He's had a scan and he's going to be missing for the next few weeks," he tells BBC Scotland.

"It's not serious but it's going to keep him out for the next couple of weeks."

On Shankland's future at the club, Critchley says: "I don't know. You can never predict what's going to happen in January and with him being out of contract in the summer.

"I'm sure people will look at that elsewhere, though the injury may decide otherwise. But Shanks is still here and we're planning with him. But we have to be prepared for every scenario."

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Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland at Pittodrie

If you are at Pittodrie today, I hope you have brought your hat and gloves, because it is perishing. Heavy snow overnight and intermittent flurries - but the pitch looks great.

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin tells BBC Scotland about Dimitar Mitov's latest injury: "It was a different injury from the last. We have to keep working and get him fresh again. It's in the other leg.

"We always have to find solutions and believe in opportunities. Everybody is ready today, we always try to be optimistic and don't hide. We want to be brave and believe in our way of playing.

"It's a fresh start now, we have to put the first part of the season behind us and show how good we are."

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Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland at McDiarmid Park

Two teams in contrasting form meet here on a cold Perth this afternoon. St Johnstone have lost their past four, in fact they've only one once in their past 10.

Meanwhile, Hibernian are putting together a nice wee run. They've won five from their past six games. Today, they're looking to make it five wins on the bounce and if they do so it'll be the first time they'll have won five straight league games in the top flight since 2011. A stat to aim for.

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Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland at Rugby Park

It was a memorable 2024 for both Kilmarnock and St Mirren, with both sides returning to European competition and giving their fans some special memories along the way.

Both clubs will want to do it all over again in 2025, with the Buddies better placed to do so right now as they sit fifth in the Scottish Premiership table, with Killie currently occupying ninth.

Coming off defeats by Hibernian and Dundee, respectively, both sides will want to bounce back and start the New Year on the front foot with victory here at Rugby Park.

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Brian McLauchlin
BBC Scotland at Tynecastle

Incredibly as we begin a New Year, Hearts after today only have five home Scottish Premiership fixtures until the league's split in mid-April, which probably makes this game against Motherwell even more significant in terms of picking up valuable points.

There is no doubt until the 95th-minute in Dingwall there was an improvement in the performance but the late lapses - Ross County scoring twice to secure a 2-2 draw - were alarming and cannot become a habit.

Motherwell will start 2025 in a positive mood despite, like Hearts, throwing away a two-goal advantage at the weekend in their home draw with Rangers.

Stuart Kettlewell has his team looking towards a European spot for next season and would take a significant step towards that if they head back along the M8 with a full quota of points today.

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Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland at Pittodrie

Aberdeen defeated Ross County 1-0 when the sides last met in Dingwall at the end of August. On that occasion, a Kevin Nisbet goal – in the eighth minute of added time - made the difference.

Dons keeper Dimitar Mitov also saved a penalty and County had a goal chalked off following a VAR intervention. That was back in the days when everything seemed to be going for Aberdeen.

Now it is a different story – yes the Dons remain very well placed in third place in the table, but it is now eight games without a win for a team that are leaking goals at one end and finding them hard to come by at the other.

Jimmy Thelin’s side are in desperate need of a victory and will be hoping it will come when County visit the Granite City this afternoon.

As for the Staggies, who are 10th, it has been something of a resurgence for them of late. Four points from their past two games has moved them five clear of bottom spot.

And having ended their 15-month wait for an away league win by beating Dundee at Dens Park on Boxing Day – Don Cowie’s men will perhaps step out at Pittodrie with a bit more freedom now that unwanted monkey is finally off their back.

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Simo Valakari has made four changes from the side that lost 4-0 to league leaders Celtic.

Jason Holt, Drey Wright, Adama Sidibeh and Benjamin Kimpioka are all in from the start.

Kyle Cameron, Matt Smith, Aaron Essel and Makenzie Kirk are replaced.

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David Gray makes one change from the side that edged past Kilmarnock at the weekend.

Celtic loanee Kwon Hyeokkyu replaces captain Joe Newell in the starting XI with striker Martin Boyle taking the armband.

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