Hearts manager Craig Levein says Uche Ikpeazu has been left out of today's encounter because of injury.

"Uche Ikpeazu felt his hamstring," he says. "That's the first time he's gone three games in a week and he felt his hamstring on Thursday.

"With the interest of making sure we don't cause further damage, I've just left him out today. He'll be fine after the international break."

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright, whose side are bottom of the table and winless in the league this term, tells BBC Scotland: "We just need to play for 90 minutes, which is something we haven't done all season.

"The performances have been good and there are games we should have won. But we've only got ourselves to blame for that because we've lacked concentration at vital times.

"This month is a vital month, but it's a vital month for everybody."

Image source, SNS

Jonathan Sutherland
BBC Sport Scotland

The Kilmarnock manager Angelo Alessio has just told me that striker Osman Sow could be out for the next six weeks.

The former Hearts player has an ankle injury which means he misses out for the match against his old side. Eamonn Brophy leads the line for the visitors.

James Forrest is entering his 10th year at Celtic, but the winger has no intention of leaving the Scottish champions any time soon as he continues to aim for further success.

Rangers legend Paul Gascoigne has been back in Glasgow this weekend, paying a visit to the club's training centre and catching up with boss Steven Gerrard and his players.

"Gazza" will have to wait until tomorrow to see Rangers in action, though, when they host Hamilton Academical.

Motherwell midfielder Liam Donnelly is suspended after being sent off against St Johnstone last week with Barry Maguire replacing him the only change for the hosts.

For the visitors, Danny Mullen and Jonathan Obika come in for Tony Andreu and Junior Morias.

Allan Preston
BBC Scotland summariser on Sportsound

Paul Heckingbottom says Hibs have some way to go before they rid themselves of this season's inconsistency.

"We know it's going to be a test and people keep pointing out it has been a difficult place for Hibs," the head coach tells BBC Scotland ahead of facing Aberdeen.

"It looks like Derek is going to be direct and have a go at us and we have to be prepared for that.

"We just need to maintain the standards and drive we've shown in the last couple of games.

"But I am not going to bed on a Friday night relaxing thinking we have turned the corner."

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Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson has brought Barry Maguire, a centre-back by trade, into the holding midfield role in place of suspended Liam Donnelly.

"We’ve worked on Barry Maguire for four or five months now in the number six position," Robinson told BBC Radio Scotland.

"He’s been excellent and I think he’ll do well. Both he and Liam Donnelly are very, very good on the ball, they read danger and they sit in front of the back-four and can dictate play. Technically, I think Barry Maguire is excellent.

"We won’t take anything for granted because St Mirren have the third-best defensive record in the league. We’ve shown when we have lapses in concentration, even at home, that’s what happened against Ross County.

"I’m looking for more from our wide players and creative players to take the game to St Mirren."

Motherwell: Gillespie; Grimshaw, Hartley, Gallagher, Tait; Polworth, Maguire, Campbell; Scott, Cole, Seedorf

Substitutes: Carson, Long, Hylton, Ilic, Mugabi, Semple, O'Hara

St Mirren: Hladky; P. McGinn, Broadfoot, McLoughlin, Waters; Magennis, Flynn, Foley, Durmus; Obika, Mullen

Substitutes: Lyness, Mackenzie, S. McGinn, Macpherson, Djorkaeff, Andreu, Morias

Third-top Motherwell stumbled in their last home outing - against Ross County - but that was their only blip in a run of four wins in their last five games.

Yet they have only won one of their home league games this season and lost the other three.

They will fancy their chances today against a St Mirren side who have gone five games without a win and who have lost all three of their away league games this season.

Indeed, they have gone five games without an away win over 90 minutes, their only success coming against League Two side Albion Rovers on penalties in the League Cup.

The Buddies are unbeaten in two outings, although those were two goalless draws on their own patch, and will taken confidence from having drawn one and won the other of their visits to Fir Park last term.

Ross County were hopeful of having midfielder Lewis Spence and forward Lee Erwin involved for the visit of St Johnstone, both of whom are yet to make their first league appearances. However Spence has to make do with a place on the bench while Erwin is missing altogether.

They make just one change from the 0-0 draw with Kilmarnock. Liam Fontaine comes in for Ewan Henderson.

But all eyes will be on Ricky Foster, who starts for the home side against his former club. Foster left Saints in late August following a training-ground incident with boss Tommy Wright.

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St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright makes four changes as he attempts to get his side back to winning ways.

Wallace Duffy, David Wotherspoon, Matty Kennedy and Danny Swanson all come in to the side from the one which lost 1-0 to Motherwell.

Liam Gordon is injured, with the club expecting him to be out for up to eight weeks. Drey Wright and Michael O'Halloran drop to the bench, while there is no place in the squad for Jason Holt.

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes realises that last weekend's 5-0 hammering by Rangers has given some fans the opportunity to criticise him, but he is concentrating on the club's injury crisis easing with the return of defenders Scott McKenna and Andrew Considine - and explains the introduction of striker Curtis Main.

"I think Scott's one of those players - if he's fit, we want him in the team and he's trained very well. We have taken our time with him and hopefully we get the reward for that," he tells BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

"We've made our changes and Andy and Scott will help us at the back end of the pitch.

"There's no doubt it was a sore one against Rangers, but we've got to show that hurt in our performance. Hibs are a good team, but they're not Rangers.

"Curtis comes in and is a positive guy. I hope it shows the fans we want to get at Hibs today."

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Ross County: Laidlaw, Fraser, Fontaine, Grivosti, Watson, Foster, Gardyne, Spittal, Chalmers, Stewart, Mckay.

Substitutes: Draper, Mullin, Spence, Henderson, Graham, Paton, Dixon-Hodge.

St Johnstone: Clark, Ralston, Duffy, Kerr, Tanser, Wotherspoon, McCann, Davidson, Kennedy, Swanson, May.

Substitutes: Parish, Vihmann, Booth, Wright, O'Halloran, Kane, Callachan.

County are unbeaten in three outings and have only lost one - a 4-1 drubbing by Livingston - of their five homes games this season.

Bottom-placed St Johnstone have not won in eight matches and have not won in five away games this season.

However, Saints have not lost in their last five visits to Dingwall.

League Two leaders Cove Rangers, who have won six league in a row, are away to fifth-placed Stenhousemuir as second-top Edinburgh City, themselves unbeaten in six, face a potentially more difficult task in Fife against Cowdenbeath, who lie third after five consecutive wins.

Fourth-top Queen's Park host Annan Athletic, who are both without a win in five outings and who are both tied on points with Stenny.

Elgin City are looking to avoid a four consecutive defeat as they visit Albion Rovers.

The big game in League One is at Stark's Park, where leaders Raith Rovers look for a fifth consecutive win as they host pre-season favourites Falkirk, who sit three points behind in third and are themselves unbeaten in three games.

Second-top East Fife, who are unbeaten in six games, will look to take advantage of any slip-up by the Kirkcaldy side as they host Stranraer, who are second bottom and without a win in five games.

Fourth-top Clyde, unbeaten in six outings, host bottom side Montrose, who last week ended a run of six games without a win by beating Peterhead 4-3.

With Dundee United, who have now only won twice in five outings, having stumbled to defeat last night, Ayr United, in their second game under caretaker manager Sandy Stewart, will go three points clear at the top of the Championship if they secure a sixth consecutive league win as they host third-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

The Wasps' win lifts them off the bottom into seventh ahead of Dunfermline Athletic, Queen of the South and Partick Thistle.

Former Ayr boss Ian McCall finds his new side back at the foot despite winning his first game in charge last week as Thistle host second-bottom Queens, while the Pars are away to Greenock Morton.

The Premiership takes top billing this afternoon, but let's take a moment to appreciate what happened in the second tier last night.

Leaders and strong pre-season favourites Dundee United were in for a shock when an impressive Alloa Athletic performance and smashing goal from Kevin O'Hara secured all three points to lift Peter Grant's part-timers off the foot of the table.

Hibs travel to Pittodrie seeking their first win over 90 minutes in nine games.

True, they did beat Greenock Morton in extra time and Kilmarnock on penalties in the League Cup during that time - and Heckingbottom's side are actually unbeaten in two games, having followed that win in Ayrshire with a creditable draw at home to Premiership leaders Celtic.

To end a run of five Premiership games without a win, they will have to beat Aberdeen for the first time in six meetings. Indeed, the Dons are seeking a fourth straight win over today's visitors.

However, McInnes' side are looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat and have only won two of their last six outings.

Yet the Dons are unbeaten at home domestically, their only defeat in six outings coming against Rijeka in Europa League qualifying.