Both sides are going at it hammer and tongs in the opening exchanges as Tynecastle crackles...

We're under way at Tynecastle.

Following the announcement of his permanent move to Rangers this week, Jermain Defoe leads the line again for the visitors.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Gerrard adds: "We are delighted, he's a top professional. He's a top player and he has been for years. To have him around for longer is very pleasing."

On the challenge facing his side today, Gerrard believes the Hearts team will pose a different threat to previous ones he's faced: "I think Daniel Stendel is trying to get Hearts to press really high and play out from the back, so that is completely different to the previous managers where they were more direct.

"He’s picked a very bold and ambitious bench so there might be something in their gameplan for that, and he’s given two debuts as well [to Boyce and Sibbick]."

Both sides trot down the tunnel and out onto the lush Tynecastle surface. Not long to go until kick-off...

Rangers go into today's game still unbeaten away from home in the league this season. When asked pre-match, manager Steven Gerrard put it down to his side "having both sides of their game exactly where they want it".

Speaking to Sky Sports, he says: "We work hard for each other, we try to control the game without the ball and we try to be dangerous and ruthless when we get our chances within the game."

Image source, PA Media

Hearts go into this afternoon's game four points adrift at the foot of the Premiership table.

Rangers, meanwhile, are five points behind title rivals Celtic with two games in hand.

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin tells BBC Scotland: “When you take a point from the Old Firm or Aberdeen it’s a positive, but I don’t remember my goalkeeper being tested too much.

“I'm frustrated in that we didn't create enough clear-cut opportunities. I'm delighted that my team managed to stand up to Aberdeen's physical threat.

Image source, SNS

"I didn't think it was a great game overall, both teams cancelled each other out, it was very scrappy.

"This is the type of game this season we've lost by one goal. For us to be able to keep a clean sheet is a huge positive."

Ray Galaksi: Every time I watch Aberdeen, it’s the same frustrating performance. What a dull side.

Billy Dodds
Former Scotland striker on Sportsound

Hearts manager Daniel Stendel has been explaining why new signings Liam Boyce and Toby Sibbick start ahead of Conor Washington and Ben Garuccio.

"We signed players to help us and they need to play to help us and we had Garuccio and Washington who played for the first time in midweek after a long time out injured and it too much for them today, but hopefully they can make an impact from the bench," he tells BBC Scotland.

"I think we have a really good squad at the moment and we can be happy with the signings and we can show that today.

"We want to play our own game in front of our fans and with our style. We play on the front foot and attack."

Image source, SNS

Stendel also explains what impact he expects from Boyce.

"We looked for a player who can score goals in the box and he's a good character also," he adds

"Toby is very young but is a player with potential. He has the option to play at full-back or centre-back or centre midfield and he is a very good player for us."

Former Rangers striker Kenny Miller has been speaking about Steven Gerrard's Rangers tenure.

“His 100th game is coming up. It might seem a lot but that’s been achieved in 18 months," Miller told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound earlier this week.

"From when he came into the football club, and the position that the team was in, and everybody talked about this gap [to Celtic] it was always going to be that you have to close it and close it quickly.

Image source, SNS

"The aim was to stop nine-in-a-row and it obviously still is. I think of the impact Steven has had on the football club and for me, this week has even been a big week because it was music to my ears to hear moans and groans from Rangers fans moaning about the performance against St Mirren, and Stranraer [in the Scottish Cup] for that matter.

"For me, it means that there’s an expectation coming back at Ibrox, which I felt had dwindled a bit over the years. The way that he’s dealt with that has shown a real class and a standard to the role [of Rangers manager] that’s maybe been missing.

"As a manager of an Old Firm team, the scrutiny that you come under day in and day out, every result and every performance gets analysed and over-analysed. Even when you’re winning now, you’re being asked: ‘are you happy?’

"Well, it’s another three points closer to potentially winning a league title."

Billy Dodds
Former Scotland striker on Sportsound

Image source, SNS

It is Steven Gerrard's 100th game in charge of Rangers and he has been taking stock.

"Massive job, massive club and I've really enjoyed the ride so far," he said at Friday's media conference. "Been a lot of ups, been some downs, exactly what I expected.

"I'm sitting here as I was on day one, just as hungry and ambitious and hopefully I'm still around for the next 100.

"I like to think I've grown and learned from the mistakes I've made and I believe there's still more to come from this team and these players."

Image source, SNS

Midweek signings Liam Boyce and Toby Sibbick go straight into Hearts' starting line-up as manager Daniel Stendel makes five changes from the side that drew 0-0 away to Ross County on Wednesday.

Boyce, who moved for an undisclosed fee from Burton Albion, takes the place of Conor Washington, his fellow Northern Ireland striker dropping to the bench.

Image source, SNS

On-loan Barnsley centre-half Sibbick comes into the defence along with Aidy White, with Clevid Dikamona and Ben Garuccio missing out on the squad completely.

Former Ipswich Town midfielder Sean Clare returns from suspension to replace Oliver Bozanic, while 19-year-old Euan Henderson starts in place of Donis Avdijaj, with the former Trabzonspor forward dropping to the bench after his midweek debut.

If we ever have trouble sleeping then watching another 10 minutes of this encounter will send us off in a heartbeat.

Not one for the purists, I'm afraid. A share of the spoils and we'll say no more about it. Sound fair?

Two minutes of added time in Paisley before referee Don Robertson's whistle puts everyone out of their collective misery.

Lewis Ferguson evades two St Mirren players wide on the left with a lovely piece of skill before lashing an effort high and wide of goal.

Dons boss Derek McInnes has his head in his hands. We empathise, Derek...

Aberdeen's Funso Ojo fires a 25-yard howitzer at goal but St Mirren goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky gathers at the second attempt.

Niall McGinn has run his course - he's replaced by Bruce Anderson as the Dons chase a later winner.