Michael Stewart
Former Scotland midfielder on BBC Sportsound

Alfredo Morelos only makes the bench as the Colombian returns from suspension, with former England striker Jermain Defoe retaining his place in an unchanged Rangers starting XI following the weekend dismantling of Hibs.

Veteran midfielder Steven Davis is also among the substitutes on his return from injury, with manager Steven Gerrard perhaps having one eye on the forthcoming top-of-the-table Glasgow derby with leaders Celtic.

Fit-again Northern Ireland team-mate Jordan Jones is also among the substitutes against his former club.

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Kilmarnock caretaker boss Alex Dyer springs a few surprises too, with veteran former Rangers winger Chris Burke and Scotland striker Eamonn Brophy dropping to the bench.

On-loan Liverpool man Liam Millar looks to have been given a loan striker role, with Iain Wilson coming into midfield in a more defensive line-up following the weekend defeat by Motherwell.

Scotland right-back Stephen O'Donnell is a surprise absentee from the match-day squad, with on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Connor Johnson dropping to the bench.

Ross Millen and veteran centre-half Alex Bruce start instead.

Michael Stewart
Former Scotland midfielder on BBC Sportsound

Hibs substitute Stevie Mallan dinks a great through ball for Martin Boyle, who is chasing a hat-trick, but he's thwarted by an offside flag.

Ross County: Baxter; Forster, Fontaine, Morris, Kelly; Spittal, Paton, Spence, Mullin; McKay, Stewart

Substitutes: Laidlaw, Fraser, Vigurs, Watson, Henderson, Graham, Chalmers

Motherwell: Gillespie; Tait, Gallagher, Hartley, Carroll; Campbell, O'Hara, Polworth; Seedorf, Hylton, Scott

Substitutes: Carson, Mugabi, Maguire, Grimshaw, Semple, Sloth, MacIver

It's as you were in Paisley with both sides unchanged from their last outing.

Ninth-place St Mirren made it three games without defeat as they battled to a 0-0 draw at St Johnstone, while Celtic re-established their five-point lead at the top with a 2-1 home win over Aberdeen.

Derek McInnes makes no fewer than three changes to the starting XI that lost 2-1 to Celtic. The suspended Sam Cosgrove is replaced by Curtis Main, while Ryan Hedges comes in for James Wilson and Connor McLennan replaces Shay Logan.

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Livingston manager Gary Holt was probably perfectly content with the team that beat Ross County 4-0 on Saturday, however he has been forced to drop Alan Lithgow through illness and as such Aaron Taylor-Sinclair comes in to the side.

Aidan Keena replaces Jake Mulraney as Hearts seek a late, late revival as the Edinburgh derby threatens to slip away from them.

John Hughes
Former Hibernian manager on Sportsound

Ouch!published at 73 mins

73 mins

Hearts 0-2 Hibernian

Hearts spurn a decent chance to reduce the deficit and get back into this derby as Uche Ikpeazu lashes an effort high and wide of goal.

The television cameras pan to Daniel Stendel on the touchline, who appears far from a happy festive camper.

Twenty minutes remaining in the Edinburgh derby. Martin Boyle-inspired Hibs remain two goals to the good, despite a better Hearts display since the break.

Hamilton Academical: Southwood, McGowan, Stubbs, Easton, McMann, Gogic, Collar, Martin, Miller, Moyo, Oakley

Substitutes: Fon Williams, Hunt, Davies, Alston, Cunningham, Winter, Hamilton

St Johnstone: Clark, Ralston, Gordon, Kerr, Booth, Davidson, McCann, Wotherspoon, O’Halloran, May, Kane

Substitutes: Parish, Duffy, Tanser, Hendry, Holt, Wright, Kennedy

St Mirren: Hladky, P McGinn, McLoughlin, Waters, Magennis, Foley, Flynn, MacPherson, Durmus, Morais, Obika.

Substitutes: Lyness, S McGinn, Andreu, Djorkaeff, Jamieson, Mullen, Cooke.

Celtic: Forster, Frimpong, Jullien, Ajer, Bolingoli, Brown, Ntcham, McGregor, Christie, Forrest, Edouard.

Substitutes: Gordon, Taylor, Bitton, Bauer, Rogic, Johnston, Griffiths.

Aberdeen: Lewis, Vyner, Taylor, McKenna, Considine, Ojo, Ferguson, McGinn, McLennan, Hedges & Main.

Substitutes: Cerny, Logan, Devlin, Campbell, Gallagher, Wilson & Anderson.

Livingston: Sarkic, Lawson, Lamie, Guthrie, Taylor-Sinclair, Bartley, Sibbald, Lawless, Souda, Pittman & Dykes.

Substitutes: Stewart, McMillan, Odoffin, Jacobs, Crawford, Erskine & Robinson.

Michael Stewart
Former Scotland midfielder on BBC Sportsound

It's taken a while but Hearts are finally warming to the task. Substitute Euan Henderson is denied by a brilliant Ofir Marciano parry, before the big keeper then claws the ball away for a corner.

Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Katic, Barisic, Jack, Kamara, Arfield, Aribo, Kent, Defoe.

Substitutes: Foderingham, Edmundson, Flanagan, Davis, Stewart, Jones, Morelos.

Kilmarnock: Branescu, Millen, Bruce, Del Fabro, Hamalainen, Power, Dicker, Wilson, El Makrini, McKenzie, Millar.

Substitutes: Kiprivec, Johnson, Thomas, Brindley, Burke, Brophy, Sow.

Two chances for Hearts within a minute. Firstly, Ryotaro Meshino drags a shot wide before striker Uche Ikpeazu fires an effort the wrong side of the post.

Better from the hosts; a goal back now and you never know...

For large spells of this Edinburgh derby, Hibs goalkeeper Ofir Marciano would've been forgiven for leaning against a post and reading one of the books Santa brought him.

However, he's equal to the task as he beats away a fierce Ryotaro Meshino drive as Hearts seek to spark an unlikely revival in the Edinburgh derby.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is wary of Kilmarnock despite the Ayrshire side's weekend defeat at home to Motherwell in their first game under caretaker boss Alex Dyer.

"Normally you get a lift or boost when a manager changes and I don't think they got that at the weekend, so I think we need to be really aware that Kilmarnock are going to come and try to perform and get a reaction from themselves," he tells Rangers TV.

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"But we just need to keep doing what we are doing - we're playing at a really good level, playing nice stuff and defending really well and looking dangerous.

"I think this will look like the old Kilmarnock - the Steve Clarke Kilmarnock - as I predict they might go back to that style."