Scotland forward Lawrence Shankland, 29, wants his future decided quickly as he plans discussions with expected new Hearts manager Derek McInnes. (Record), external
McInnes' input will be a key factor in Shankland's decision. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external
Image source, SNSKilmarnock defender Robbie Deas is suspended while Kyle Magennis will not be risked after a knee injury. Brad Lyons (groin) and Joe Wright (hip) have a chance of featuring.
Hearts caretaker Liam Fox is set to choose from an unchanged squad.
Craig Gordon (shoulder), Jamie McCart (groin), Blair Spittal, Kenneth Vargas (knee), Gerald Taylor (knee) and Aidan Denholm (hamstring) are all likely to remain sidelined, while James Penrice could be left out again as he is one booking away from a two-match ban.
Incoming Hearts boss Derek McInnes wants to take Stuart Findlay with him from Kilmarnock, where the 29-year-old centre-half has spent two seasons on loan from Oxford United. (Daily Record), external
Astana have admitted defeat in their attempt to sign Kazakhstan winger Islam Chesnokov from Tobol, with sports director Kaisar Bekenov saying the 25-year-old is "very close" to a transfer to Hearts. (Scottish Sun), external
Derek McInnes will make securing Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland on a new deal his priority when the manager moves from Kilmarnock, with the Scotland striker out of contract this summer. (Daily Record), external
Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.
Image source, SNSHarry Milne hopes to put a "frustrating" start to his Hearts career behind him and show he can become a regular next season.
The 28-year-old, a January signing from Partick Thistle, made just his second Hearts appearance in the midweek win over St Johnstone when regular left-back James Penrice was rested.
Milne, hoping for another outing when Hearts end the season away to Kilmarnock on Sunday, said: "I was happy to get the game, especially here at Tynecastle, before summer so there's not as much of that unknown aspect with me in terms of the connection with the fans.
"The day-to-day, everything about the club, the facilities, the boys, the squad, the standard, from that aspect it's always been really good.
"But it has been really frustrating not being able to play as many games as I'd like.
"There's both sides of the coin - I'm happy to be here, of course, because it's a wonderful club and everything about it and the size of it, but I would like some more time on the pitch."
Milne believes he will benefit from the gentle bedding-in period when he looks to impress the new manager - Derek McInnes is set to be appointed - during the summer.
"It's been good that I've been able to come in at the end of January, rather than coming in summer, because I'm more familiar with everyone around the club," he added.
"Not just my team-mates but the staff and being able to move through to Edinburgh and things like that and get settled in. I feel settled now and I just want to kick on next season."
Image source, SNSAfter their 1-0 win in December, Kilmarnock could win back-to-back home games over Hearts in the top flight for the first time since March 2014.
Having won 3-2 in January, Hearts are looking to pick up back-to-back top-flight victories over Kilmarnock for the first time since April 2010 (run of 5).
Excluding the curtailed 2019-20 season, Kilmarnock have won on matchday 38 in four of their past five Scottish Premiership campaigns (D1) since a 2-1 defeat to Ross County in 2016-17.
Hearts haven't won their final match of a top-flight season in any of their past 18 attempts (D6 L12 – including curtailed 2019-20) since a 3-2 win over Motherwell in 2003-04.
Hearts have 49 points in the Scottish Premiership this season – a win in this match will mean they would have the most points by a bottom-six side in a campaign since St Johnstone in 2018-19 (52).
Manager Derek McInnes told Kilmarnock he would not be in the dugout for Sunday's final game of the season against Hearts before Wednesday's defeat by Motherwell. (Scottish Sun), external
Derek McInnes told Kilmarnock's players that he had managed them for the last time moments after their defeat by Motherwell on Wednesday night. (Daily Record), external
Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.
Watch Sportscene pundits Michael Stewart and Charlie Mulgrew discuss the managerial situation at Hearts.
We asked for your views on Hearts' 2-1 win against St Johnstone.
Here's what some of you said:
Alexander: Rotten performance against the worst team in the league. Looking forward to Derek McInnes coming in. It will be interesting to see if he's allowed to appoint his own coaches or has coaches loyal to Ann Budge and Craig Levein foisted on him like Daniel Stendel and Neil Critchley. Liam Fox being a very much Budge and Levein man!
Gordon: Sensible choice for the new manager, but this has come only after years of wasted millions and debacles, for example, the shambles of the main stand rebuild. There are deeper problems at Hearts, of governance and accountability, with the Foundation of Hearts a passive nodding dog. These problems need addressed. Perhaps Tony Bloom's investment may help shake the governance structure up and help restore natural order.
Chris: Beautiful weather, decent football, but months too late. What could have been. Harry Milne looked very good, and Lawrence Shankland is playing with a freedom he's been missing. Fox must have a part to play in any new set-up.
Ken: As usual, when you play a great player like Shankland in the right position, he scores, but he has more to his game. Can't believe supporters were giving him stick.
Peter: It is difficult to understand why we persisted so long with Shankland playing deeper. I think it was done to lift the pressure off him for a while, but although it showed he had other strengths, it undermined his self belief, essential to a successful striker. I was not for giving him a new contract, but now I hope we do. McInnes is a good move, but please do it properly and not with the farcical waiting for Budge to return from holiday and the prospect of our new manager leading Kilmarnock against us. Only Hearts could be so silly.
Watch highlights as Hearts win 2-1 against St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.
Available to UK users only.
Hearts are in talks with Zemplin Michalovce winger Alexandros Kyziridis, with the 24-year-old Greek out of contract at the Slovakian club this summer. (Daily Record), external
Hearts have held talks with Zemplin Michalovce winger Alexandros Kyziridis and Kazakhstan winger Islam Chesnokov, currently with Tobol, but with Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes due to move to Tynecastle next week, any unsigned deals are likely to be on hold until he assesses the first-team squad. (Edinburgh Evening News), external
Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.
Image source, SNSAlan Forrest has scored in each of his last 3 games in the Premiership (3 goals), his longest scoring streak in the competition.
Lawrence Shankland has assisted 8 goals in the Premiership this season (1 in this game), more than any other Hearts player.
Hearts have won their last 3 games in the Premiership, their last longer winning streak was from 2nd January 2024 to 17th February 2024, a run of 6 games.
Graham Carey has scored his fourth goal in the Premiership this season, netting for the first time since 15th February 2025 against Kilmarnock.
Graham Carey has now scored 4 goals in 13 appearances in the Premiership against Hearts.
Image source, SNSIt's hard, once again, to look past the influence of Shankland, whose fingerprints were on both Hearts goals and looks utterly transformed since Liam Fox took interim charge and restored him to his preferred position.
Alan Forrest was lively down the right, and the two men enjoying rare starting opportunities, Harry Milne and Yan Dhanda, menaced in attack.
Hearts fans, were you at Tynecastle for the final home game of the season or following from home?
What did you make of your team's win, the players leaving, and the prospective arrival of Derek McInnes as manager?
Image source, SNSHearts interim head coach Liam Fox told BBC Scotland: "We're delighted with the win.
"It was a very hard-fought victory.
"First half, some of the football we played was really good. Second half we had to show a different side to the team, we had to really dig deep and defend and the players worked really hard.
"Overall, I'm really, really pleased."
Image source, SNSShould, as is widely expected, Derek McInnes take up the managerial mantle in Gorgie, talks with Lawrence Shankland will be high on his agenda.
The club has reportedly opened discussions with the out-of-contract striker already, and McInnes is likely to see the man he signed and released at Aberdeen as his attacking fulcrum.
Shankland has endured a barren season, deployed at the tip of a diamond rather than in a striking position, but his form since Neil Critchley's dismissal has been mightily encouraging.
Though he did not burnish his tally of five goals in three games, he laced another impressive outing with flourishes of class, his confidence restored and mojo rediscovered.
His sweet touch put Forrest through for Hearts' second and the sight of Shankland unleashing a 50-yard drive with predatory intent brought Tynecastle to its feet.
Image source, SNSBeni Baningime has been told "very good things" about potential new Hearts boss Derek McInnes by Tynecastle team-mates.
Hearts are closing in on the appointment of Kilmarnock's McInnes, although an official announcement may not come until the sides meet in what would be an awkward final game of the season at Rugby Park on Sunday.
Midfielder Baningime believes McInnes would be taking over a Hearts squad that can finish third next season and prove this term was an "anomaly".
Prior to tonight's visit of St Johnstone, he said: "I think from the boys that obviously know him, they're saying very good stuff about him.
"I spoke to Shanks [Lawrence Shankland] about him, I spoke to Barrie McKay, and just all the boys that have known him, he worked in person with Shanks at Aberdeen, and they're saying very good things.
"I think my time here, we've been quite successful, so I would be hoping this season is an anomaly, that we had a really bad season and that's it.
"The ambition at the club and the trajectory that we're going on as a club and also us as players, we can't allow another season like this one to happen.
"I was speaking to Cammy (Devlin, who also joined Hearts in 2021) and we're like, this doesn't happen here, in our time being here, we've never experienced this.
"We got third and then kind of bottled it when we finished fourth the following season. But yeah, we had third, so it should actually be three thirds in a row, but we obviously didn't get that.
"But this season's just been like, how are we down here? How is this happening? It's been a strange one. It's draining when you're not winning. I think we all need a break and then come back and redeem ourselves next season, hopefully."
Hearts, in conjunction with Jamestown Analytics, are set to revamp their squad this summer but Baningime insists there is already plenty of quality for McInnes to work with.
"We need to remember, these are the same boys that two of the last three years were easily third, and, as I said, fourth, where we probably should have been (third)," said Baningime. "You don't become bad players overnight.
"It's a strange one. I do think we have to be better, but I do think the foundation we have with players and the quality and, most importantly, character is good enough for us to get third and beyond next season."
Image source, SNSHearts have won their past nine league meetings against St Johnstone since a 2-1 defeat in February 2022. The only current Scottish Premiership side on a longer ongoing winning run against a current opponent in the competition is Celtic over Ross County (13).
St Johnstone have lost nine of their past 10 Scottish Premiership away games at Hearts, including their past five in a row since a 1-0 win in December 2019 under Tommy Wright.
Hearts have only won their final home game in one of their past 10 top-flight league seasons (D4 L5 – including the curtailed 2019-20 season), a 2-1 victory over rivals Hibernian in 2017-18.
After failing to win their final away league game in five successive seasons from 2018-19 to 2022-23 (D2 L3 – including curtailed 2019-20 season), St Johnstone won their last on the road in 2023-24, 2-1 at Motherwell.
Hearts' Lawrence Shankland has been directly involved in eight goals in his past 10 league appearances against St Johnstone (six goals, two assists), assisting both of his side's goals in their 2-1 win in February.
Image source, SNSHearts will be without goalkeeper Craig Gordon (shoulder), Kenneth Vargas (knee), Gerald Taylor (knee) and Aidan Denholm (hamstring).
Blair Spittal could be back after missing out on Saturday, while Jamie McCart (groin) is pushing for a return.
St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari expects to be selecting from an unchanged squad, with Zach Mitchell (hamstring), Drey Wright (ankle), Bozo Mikulic (knee) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) still out.
Hearts' plans to unveil Derek McInnes as their new manager have been put on hold until chairwoman Ann Budge returns from holiday. (Herald - subscription required), external
Beni Baningime says Scots Barrie McKay and Lawrence Shankland have played down fears about long ball tactics should McInnes take charge at Hearts. (Record), external
Hearts' new boss will inherit a squad eager to prove this season has been an "anomaly", with the side having missed out on a top-six finish. (Scotsman - subscription required), external
St Johnstone's Daniel Balodis backs team-mate Uche Ikpeazu to show former club Hearts what he's capable of when the sides meet at Tynecastle on Wednesday evening. (Courier - subscription required), external
