Heart of Midlothian

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hearts head coach Derek McInnes insists he has no fear taking his unbeaten team anywhere ahead of their trip to face Aberdeen on Sunday.

McInnes' side are top of the Scottish Premiership having won nine of their opening 12 league games while avoiding defeat, results that earned a seven-point advantage over Celtic having played one game more.

"We understand it's going to be a tough game for us but I don't have any fear of going anywhere with my team," he said.

"I feel as though we can go anywhere and have the belief that we can get a result but we have to play well. We're motivated to win the game and if we play well, we've got a chance.

"We've won at some tough places, we've won at some places we've struggled with over the years and Sunday provides another opportunity."

McInnes conceded that it's likely teams now view defeating his side as a scalp given their results to date.

"I'd probably assume so to be honest," he explained. "I get that we're there to be shot at and I think there's a lot of teams who would take a lot of pleasure in seeing us beat, not just the team that would try to beat us but a lot of other teams.

"Up until now everybody's tried and we'll see how far we can go with this. We want to just keep being strong.

"Our fight is with ourselves, nobody else, and we understand that while other teams' motivation may be a bit higher, our motivation has to go with that.

"Something we spoke about with the players is that the motivation has to remain high to keep doing what we're doing."

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Aberdeen hope to have Alfie Dorrington, Ante Palaversa and Sivert Heltne Nilsen in contention, but Kristers Tobers (knee) is out long term.

Hearts are without the suspended Craig Halkett as well as injured trio Beni Baningime, Calem Nieuwenhof and Finlay Pollock (all hamstring).

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland admits his goal against Denmark that helped secure Scotland's place at the World Cup brought a sense of arrival at international level.

His tap-in with just over 10 minutes remaining put Scotland 2-1 ahead only for the Danes to hit back before stunning added-time strikes from Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean sent Scotland fans into euphoria.

"It's been brilliant," Shankland said.

"A lot of good memories being made there. You always want to have that moment of importance and make a wee bit of a statement about what you've done.

"You need to be patient and wait on your moment. I knew going into the other night that if I could get one in such a big game, on such a big occasion, then it would be good for me.

"It's never a bad idea to score a goal for your country. I'm just delighted to get on the scoresheet but more importantly for the boys to get the win and to all have that moment together."

Shankland hopes, after missing out on squads in the recent past, his impact will go some way to securing his seat on the place to North America next summer.

"Listen, of course you want to be a part of it, but there is an awful long time before then," he said.

"There's still March's camp to come. First and foremost, it'll be keeping myself right, making sure you're fit and playing well and form continues at club level.

"I'm in a good place. I'm feeling really positive. The club's feeling positive, and my game's in a good place as well. So, I'm looking forward to every game."

Shankland's strike, despite its importance, was somewhat overshadowed by the quality, and timing, of the goals from Scott McTominay, Tierney and McLean.

"I think I could maybe make Kenny's, maybe Kieran's, but I don't think I'd ever be able to do McTominay's," he joked.

"It was an unbelievable standard of goals really, but I think the skill that Scott's got, it's incredible really.

"He must have had his mind made up before the ball came in that he was going to do an overhead kick. I don't know how he spotted that that quick, but to pull that off is incredible."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Derek McInnes has been speaking to the media before Hearts face Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the Premiership on Sunday.

Here are the key points:

• On Scotland's World Cup qualification at Denmark's expense: "It was such a magnificent game that will live long in the memory. How it played out in the end was just something out of a film. It was so exciting, so dramatic."

• McInnes lauded the contribution of his players Craig Gordon and Lawrence Shankland.

• On Gordon: "Delighted with his contribution, I thought in Greece he was outstanding. Against Denmark he had a really good save. A great moment for him."

• On Shankland, who put Scotland 2-1 up in the 4-2 win, he says: "You're just praying he gets on the pitch. When he scored the goal you think that's the goal that gets us to the World Cup but then we had it all to do again."

• The former Scotland midfielder believes the positive impact of the national side's achievement can filter throughout the domestic game in Scotland: "There's always a trickle effect whenever you qualify for tournaments, that ripple effect, that feelgood factor. [I'm] looking forward to seeing Scotland compete at a World Cup."

• McInnes also hopes other players in his squad might be inspired to push on and stake a claim for Scotland or their own countries that have, or may qualify.

• He also spoke of the pride he had in seeing players he previously managed - the likes of Lewis Ferguson, Ryan Christie and Scott McKenna - play their part in Scotland's success.

• On the challenge his table-topping side face at Pittodrie, where Hearts haven't won in nine years: "The game is going to really test our ability to get a result because Aberdeen over the years is always a tough game to go to. They've picked up a bit in recent weeks, they're littered with good players. I feel as though we can go anywhere and have the belief that we can get a result but we have to play well."

• Calem Nieuwenhof, Beni Baningime and Finlay Pollock are all out through injury with Craig Halkett suspended. Frankie Kent comes back into contention.

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Hearts' lead at the top of the table was cut to seven points after being held to a draw at home to Dundee United last time out, leading some to doubt their ability to maintain a long-term title challenge.

A trip to Pittodrie will be a major test of that and there will be additional pressure on former Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes' side if reigning champions Celtic have already reduced the arrears further in their trip to face St Mirren on Saturday.

Especially so given the Edinburgh side have failed to win in 13 visits to Aberdeen since an Abiola Dauda goal separated the sides in May 2016.

Indeed, their 0-0 draw on their last meeting at Pittodrie this May ended a run of nine straight defeats.

The current Hearts side are a different beast, though, and remain unbeaten in 10 games overall, including their latest four away from home.

Lawrence Shankland - the Premiership's top scorer on seven goals - heads to the north east on a high after his goal helped beat Denmark 4-2 at Hampden to secure World Cup qualification for Scotland.

The Dons have, though, managed to lift themselves off the bottom of the table in recent weeks and are unbeaten in three outings as they look to reverse the 2-0 defeat they suffered at Tynecastle in their season opener.

However, Jimmy Thelin's eighth-top side have still only managed one victory in their latest five.

Read all the weekend's Premiership picks

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Craig Gordon is set to become the second-oldest player in World Cup history if he makes an appearance for Scotland in North America next summer.

The Hearts goalkeeper will be 43 years and five months old by the time the global showpiece kicks off in mid-June.

He would be second only to former Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who made history at Russia 2018 by starting the third game against Saudi Arabia aged 45 years and 161 days.

Gordon is back in the limelight after Angus Gunn, who started Scotland's first four games in the 2026 qualification, missed out through injury for the closing double-header against Greece and Denmark.

Gordon, who hadn't made a first-team appearance since May, impressively stepped up and helped the men's side end a World Cup finals absence of almost three decades.

So is Gordon now Scotland's first choice? And with Alexander Schwolow firmly established as Hearts number one, might the 42-year-old seek a move away from Tynecastle in January?

"At this moment in time he is Scotland number one for me," said former goalkeeper Cammy Bell on the BBC's Scottish Football podcast.

"You see the levels he managed to reach in the two games with the huge pressure that was on the goalkeeping department because of people not having game-time.

"For me, Gordon's always been the Scotland number one. It'll be interesting to see what he does in January, whether he pursues game-time between now and the end of the season to try to get prepared for the World Cup if he can't get in that Hearts team, because ultimately I see this as Gordon's sign-off.

"That'll be him after the tournament, he will retire. And listen, he fully deserves it. He's been an amazing goalkeeper for Scotland and he's definitely on the plane."

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• Aberdeen are unbeaten in 13 home league meetings with Hearts (W10 D3) since a 1-0 defeat in May 2016 under current Tynecastle boss Derek McInnes.

• Hearts are unbeaten in three league meetings with Aberdeen (W1 D2), last going four without losing to the Dons in April 2014.

• After a run of 10 Premiership matches without victory between May and September (D1 L9), failing to score in six consecutive matches, Aberdeen have since lost just one of their past five in the competition (W3 D1) while netting in all five matches.

• After winning six consecutive league matches from August to October, Hearts have drawn two of their past three (W1), as many draws as they recorded in their previous 24 in the competition.

• Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland, the top scorer in the Premiership with seven goals, has managed just one fewer goal this term in the competition than opponents Aberdeen have scored as a team (eight).

Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End have joined the clubs eyeing up Hearts centre-half Craig Halkett, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. (Football League World), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon: "What a crazy night. The quality of some of those goals, I don't think we'll see in another 20 year.

"I've been playing for 21 years with the national team. To go through all that and end with a night like that, incredible.

"They are a very good team, but to score four goals like that and to reach a World Cup with a goal from our own half in the last minute, you would never imagine that.

"The group have been very calm through the week. We just needed one chance and we ended up with two unbelievable goals in the dying stages - it probably needed something like that to break our duck and get to a World Cup.

"It's emotional to think about. It's been an awful long time coming. Incredible to be a part of it and it will take a while to sink it. I nearly retired in the summer and Steve Clarke was the one who told me to give it one more year.

"That is worth everything. All the hard work, all the disappointments."

Read more: What Scotland's heroes said

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Islam Chesnokov is "really excited" about joining Hearts after talks with head coach Derek McInnes in recent days, says sporting director Graeme Jones.

Chesnokov, 25, agreed a pre-contract in the summer and is due at Tynecastle next month despite "noise" in his homeland that the move from Tobol was in jeopardy.

"We're looking forward to having him in, in early December. We had a call with him on Friday just past and he's really excited about coming," Jones told Hearts TV.

"I appreciate there's noise that's surrounding him back in Kazakhstan, but we can't do anything about that noise. We have a pre-contract agreement in place and we've got a player that's really excited about coming here.

"He had a great conversation with Derek on Friday. So, for us now, it's just making sure that we facilitate the set up. So, the transition as he comes into the country is as smooth as possible.

"He can have a good month's training with us, and be ready and available for selection as of the beginning of January. He's a really exciting one for us and as I say, the sooner we have him, the better."

On whether Hearts, who currently lead the Premiership by seven points, could add further players in January, Jones said: "Well, every transfer window matters for us, like all clubs, but particularly with the utilisation of Jamestown. So, there are certain areas within the team that we want to improve.

"But we have to balance that with the harmony within the group. We will work to be as active as we can be, but balancing that out with making sure that we maintain a harmony within the group and keeping that positivity and focus on the gradual improvement of what we're achieving."

Greg Playfair
Fan writer

Let's be honest, if you ask most Scottish football supporters whether they prefer watching their club side or national team, the overwhelming majority would say club matters always take precedence.

All that changes, however, with Scotland's World Cup qualifying decider against Denmark at Hampden.

With my Hearts bias on full show, I really hope Craig Gordon and Lawrence Shankland play crucial roles in getting Steve Clarke's side over the finishing line.

Gordon is in the strange position of being Hearts' back-up goalkeeper this season but now Scotland's number one. Despite a soft concession for Greece's third goal last Saturday, the 42-year-old had a solid showing in his first competitive game in over six months.

I'd be dumbfounded if he doesn't line up between the sticks and I'd be as equally flabbergasted if Clarke starts Shankland.

Che Adams looked a striker bereft of goals against Greece and in what is a must win, I genuinely don't understand why you wouldn't want a guy who has scored 80 in just under three-and-a-half seasons for club and country.

Clarke has got a lot of things right for Scotland, but his misuse of Shankland has to be one of his biggest flaws. Despite Shankland having 17 caps, he's only been on the pitch for 503 minutes of those, averaging around 30 minutes a game.

If you narrow it down to competitive Scotland games, Shankland has 13 caps in 270 minutes, which is a meagre 21 minutes per cap.

One man who has been trusted to lead his nation's frontline is Pierre Landry Kabore, who incredibly netted a second successive hat-trick for Burkina Faso in their friendly win over Niger last Friday.

That makes it eight goals in the past five games for club and country from the in-form 24-year-old.

It's a nice headache for Hearts head coach Derek McInnes to have for Sunday's trip to Aberdeen. You can't imagine Shankland or Claudio Braga get dropped for this one, but I've got a feeling Kabore will soon be making it impossible for Del to keep him on the sidelines much longer.

Hearts have only won twice at Pittodrie in the past 15 years. However, if we have any aspirations of maintaining a title challenge this season, it's simply a must-win game.

Former Dundee United player and ex-Hearts coach Jon Daly is a candidate for the Waterford manager's job. (Irish Independent - subscription required), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

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St Mirren were wrongly denied a goal in their 2-2 draw with Hearts last month, according to Scottish FA head of referees Willie Collum.

Midfielder Mark O'Hara was ruled to been offside when he impeded Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland before Miguel Freckleton found the net at a time when a goal would have put the Paisley side 3-1 ahead.

However, Collum believes Shankland was not impeded sufficiently to rule out the goal.

"We have to be careful about disallowing goals for something so minor," Collum told The VAR Review show. "We have been too forensic here, over-analysing something."

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Steve Clarke has a "massive issue" over Scotland's goalkeeping situation but must start Craig Gordon against Greece in the make-or-break World Cup qualifier, says former international Cammy Bell.

With Angus Gunn out injured, 42-year-old Hearts keeper Gordon - who has not played this season - is vying with Rangers back-up Liam Kelly and recalled Falkirk number one Scott Bain for the gloves in Athens where Scotland need at least a point to make the final game against Denmark a qualification decider.

Kelly, 29, has played one game for Rangers this term while 33-year-old Bain is back in the Scotland squad for the first time in six years after reviving his career since moving from Celtic to Falkirk in the summer.

"These games of such huge magnitude and pressure around it, I think you've got to go experience," former keeper Bell told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"I know Liam Kelly and Craig Gordon aren't playing, Scott Bain is playing but although he's had a fantastic season so far, he had long periods when he was at Celtic and never played a lot of football as well.

"For me, in games of this magnitude, you've got to go experience and Gordon's the one that can hopefully get us over the line."

However, Bell doesn't see any of the three goalkeepers in the squad as a long-term solution.

"It's massive issue for Scotland going forward," he added.

"Kelly's not playing at Rangers and he's probably one of our younger ones. Bain's playing, but he's not that young. So again, we've got to find the next generation.

"We've had it so good for so long with Gordon, Allan McGregor and David Marshall in our squads for over 10 years. It's a big issue and it's something we need to look at."

We asked you to tell us the one thing you would change about Hearts' season so far.

Here are some of your responses:

John: Develop a more efficient way of selling off empty seats on the days before a game. This would be more agile than the current ticket exchange mechanism and would increase attendance and revenue.

Sam: I'd rein in the expectations. It's been a great start but the real test will come now. We could do with a proper right-back – and Beni Baningime looks irreplaceable.

Gary: Desperate for a new right-back. Teams have been targeting us, successfully, down our right side. It's a shame because we knew this in the summer but failed to address it.

Campbell: To be title challengers, an upgrade in midfield is needed. Back-up there is not good enough if injuries start coming.

Gordon: I would probably like to have seen players such as Sabah Kerjota and Pierre Landry Kabore get more minutes (felt there was an opportunity to put these guys on in games when we've been leading 3-0 with half an hour left).

David: I would introduce more balance and threat to the right-hand side of the team. We've gone without a proper right-back for too long! Either play Christian Borchgrevink or get another RB in January.

Sandy: A better attitude when playing teams other than the Old Firm and the likes of Hibs! Absolutely no point in winning these games when you drop points against Dundee Utd, Motherwell and St Mirren.

George: Get the right side off the defence sorted out then we could win the league.

Kyle: I think right-back is our weakness. I would have liked another one in during the summer transfer window or even given Forrester a chance. Would like to see more from the other new signings to see if they can cope with the pressure of playing for hearts.

Former Hearts sporting director Joe Savage believes Celtic still have enough in their squad to pip his old club to the Scottish Premiership title. (Record), external

Beni Baningime, Cammy Devlin, Alan Forrest, Craig Gordon, Craig Halkett and Frankie Kent are among the Hearts players out of contract at the end of the season. (Scotsman - subscription required), external

Veteran former Hearts winger Gary Mackay-Steven, 35, can still be a game changer at Ross County, says manager Tony Docherty. (Press and Journal), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

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Alexandros Kyziridis has made Scottish football sit up and take notice since arriving at Hearts. And his fine form hasn't gone unnoticed in his homeland - but a cap call continues to elude the 25-year-old.

The Greek winger has quickly become an integral player for Derek McInnes' side, scoring five goals and contributing five assists in league and cup for the Premiership leaders.

Kyziridis, a summer arrival from Slovak side Zemplin Michalovce, has never played for his country - but should he be lining up against Scotland this weekend?

With Greece already out of the running for a World Cup place, they complete thier qualification campaign at home to Scotland and away to Belarus in the coming days.

And Kyziridis' omission from Ivan Jovanovic's squad is a "surprise", according to Greek football expert Stephen Kountourou.

He told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast: "I was quite surprised he didn't get called up, to be honest.

"He was one of the few players that wasn't given an opportunity this time round. I hope that Jovanovic does [call up Kyziridis].

"Hearts this season is a fantastic story and he's been brilliant for them. And just to have that option on the wing where we, even with really talented players who have a lot of potential, we still lack a lot of depth in that position.

"I would have loved Kyziridis to come for this international break to give him some really valuable experience.

"I can understand Jovanovic not wanting to kind of disrupt the team so much by bringing in loads of new players out of the blue and excluding players who have been there under him since he took charge.

"But yeah, he hasn't been called up this time and I really hope he does in the near future."

Life is pretty sweet for Hearts fans.

The Derek McInnes era is off to a soaring start and the Tynecastle side are perched at the top of the Premiership.

Tony Bloom's investment and Jamestown Analytics recruitment company are helping to fuel the Jambos' rise amid bold predictions of at least a second-place finish this term.

The international break provides the chance to pause for breath and reflect after a whirlwind few months at Tynecastle.

So, if you could change one thing about Hearts' season so far, what would it be?

Tell us here.

Hearts defender Craig Halkett is "fizzing" to be suspended for the upcoming Scottish Premiership meeting with Aberdeen, questioning some of his bookings this season. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external

Former Aberdeen goalkeeper Joe Lewis doubts leaders Hearts' chances of winning the Scottish Premiership. (Record), external

Kazakhstan winger Islam Chesnokov, who is expected to join Hearts from Tobol, says his future "will become clear soon". (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

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A shivering Claudio Braga would have been forgiven for wondering what he had let himself in for.

The forward had just swapped life in Portugal for a punt at progressing his career in Norway. He arrived without a contract and was taken aback by the freezing temperatures and snow-bound surroundings.

But that move to third-tier Moss in 2022 proved the making of Braga, who is now taking Scottish football by storm with shock leaders Hearts.

Braga netted 23 goals in 58 appearances for Moss, helping them to promotion, and was similarly impactful after joining Aalesunds in Norway's second tier, racking up 14 goals and nine assists in 41 games before being whisked to Tynecastle.

Recalling that first move abroad, Braga told BBC Scotland: "It was tough of course. My family support me a lot but in the beginning, the culture shock was a big one, especially the weather.

"I changed to Norway in January so it was the peak of the snow and really, really cold negative degrees.

"I've seen snow a little bit standing on the mountain in Portugal, but had never seen snow falling before I went to Norway. So it was kind of a shock to go there and see all that and when I got there I was alone and just trying to see what happened.

"When I moved to Norway I didn't even know how much I was going to earn or if I would stay at the club because I was not even with a contract. So when I went there, it was a risk and it has paid back, to be honest.

"I was really well treated by the clubs there, the people around the clubs, so I'm grateful for the guys that helped me become what I am today because they helped me a lot.

"With Moss we won the league and then I moved to Aalesund and, yeah, it was a really good thing."

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Former Hearts, Raith Rovers, Leicester and Dundee United coach Gary Kirk has died just days after being appointed as Dunfermline's head scout.

Kirk, 75, who also had a stint as Cowdenbeath manager and spent a large part of his career working alongside Craig Levein, passed away while attending a match in England on Monday.

A statement from Dunfermline read: "A well-known and hugely-respected figure in Scottish football, Gary had only last week joined the club as our full-time head scout for the UK and Ireland and sadly passed away last night while taking in a match south of the border.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time."

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Hearts forward Claudio Braga's fruitful form has been rewarded with the Scottish Premiership player of the month award for October.

The Portuguese netted a double in the 3-0 win at Kilmarnock and scored the equaliser in the 2-2 draw away to St Mirren as Hearts picked up 10 points from 12 last month.

Braga succeeds team-mate Lawrence Shankland as player of the month and makes it a Hearts double for October after Derek McInnes took the manager prize.

Braga, 26, has nine goals in 17 games across all competitions for McInnes' men since his summer move from Norwegian second-tier side Aalesunds.