Neil Critchley has made two changes from the draw with Ross County. Craig Halkett replaces Daniel Oyegoke at centre-back, while Cammy Devlin returns from suspension to start in midfield in place of Beni Baningime.

New forward signing Elton Kabangu is awaiting a work permit, but defender Lewis Neilson is in the squad after his loan at St Johnstone was cut short.

There's still no captain Lawrence Shankland, who has a calf issue.

Image source, SNS

Stephen O'Donnell is one of three Motherwell changes from the draw with Rangers as he replaces Marvin Kaleta at right wing-back.

Tom Sparrow and Tony Watt come in for Lennon Miller and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, who are both injured.

Jack Vale is back for the first time since September.

Image source, SNS

Scott Tanser, Richard Taylor and Jonah Ayunga all come into the St Mirren team having missed the defeat by Dundee.

Captain Mark O'Hara makes the bench, while forward Owen Oseni - who signed from Gateshead yesterday - is also named among the substitutes.

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes has made two changes to the side beaten 1-0 by Hibs last time out.

David Watson and the suspended Danny Armstrong miss out, but Joe Wright makes the starting team having limped off at Easter Road.

Bruce Anderson and Robbie Deas come into the side.

Image source, SNS

Ross County's New Year's Day signing Nohan Kenneh makes his second debut for the club after arriving on loan from Hibernian. He's one of three changes, with James Brown and Jordan White starting.

As a result, striker Ronan Hale drops to the bench, alongside George Harmon and Jack Grieves.

Image source, SNS

Dimitar Mitov is the big name missing for Aberdeen. The goalkeeper has picked up another injury and Ross Doohan deputises again.

Slobodan Rubezic, Sivert Heltne Nielsen and Ante Palaversa are suspended, with Angus MacDonald, Luis 'Duk' Lopes and captain Graeme Shinnie returning to the starting line-up.

Image source, SNS

Only two things are assured about today's games so far as the league table is concerned, Celtic will finish top and St Johnstone will in all likelihood be bottom.

However, there's lots of potential movement in between.

Aberdeen and Dundee United could capitalise on any points dropped by Rangers and the Dons could finish today second.

Six points separate St Mirren in fifth and Kilmarnock in ninth.

And at the bottom, Hearts are trying to get above Ross County and St Johnstone are hoping to get closer to both Hearts and County.

St Johnstone: Rae, Mikulic, Raymond, Sanders, Holt, Clark, Wright, Sidibeh, Sprangler, Kimpioka, Franczak.

Substitutes: Hepburn, Carey, Essel, Kucheriavyi, Smith, McPake, Keltjens, Dair, Brookfield.

Hibernian: Smith, Miller, Boyle, C Cadden, Iredale, Hyeokkyu, N Cadden, Hoilett, Triantis, Campbell, Bushiri.

Substitutes: Bursik, O'Hora, Levitt, Amos, McKirdy, Obita, Moriah-Welsh, Gayle, Molotnikov.

Kilmarnock: McCrorie, Mayo, Wright, Deas, Ndaba, Murray, Polworth, Lyons, Anderson, Vassell, Wales.

Substitutes: O'Hara, Burroughs, McKenzie, Watson, Mackay-Steven, Magennis, Cameron, Donnelly, Bainbridge.

St Mirren: Balcombe, Fraser, Taylor, Gogic, Iacovitti, Tanser, Smyth, Phillips, Idowu, Ayunga, Olusanya.

Substitutes: Urminsky, Bwomono, John, O'Hara, Boyd-Munce, Kiltie, Mooney, Mandron, Oseni.

Hearts: Gordon, Forrester, Halkett, Rowles, Penrice, Grant, Devlin, Boyce, Drammeh, Spittal, Wilson.

Substitutes: Clark, Oyegoke, Baningime, Forrest, Boateng, Dhanda, Neilson, Tait, Vargas.

Motherwell: Oxborough, O'Donnell, Casey, Gordon, Blaney, Wilson, Halliday, Paton, Sparrow, Maswanhise, Watt.

Substitutes: Hegyi, Balmer, Zdravkovski, McGinn, Nicholson, Kaleta, Koutroumbis, Ebiye, Vale.

Aberdeen: Doohan, Devlin, Molloy, MacDonlad, MacKenzie, Shinnie, Clarkson, Duk, McGrath, Keskinen, Sokler.

Substitutes: Ritchie, Polvara, Nisbet, McGarry, Morrison, Boyd, Ambrose, Stewart, Enem.

Ross County: Amissah, Wright, Lopata, Leak, Efete, Randall, Kenneh, Nisbet, Brown, Chilvers, White.

Substitutes: Hamilton, Allardice, Loturi, Hale, Grieves, Harmon, Telfer, Brophy, Reid.

Team news on the way.

It's 2 January and the first round of 2025 Scottish Premiership fixtures is upon us.

Here are the games we'll be focusing on here:

• Aberdeen v Ross County
• Hearts v Motherwell
• Kilmarnock v St Mirren
• St Johnstone v Hibernian

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