Murray Davidson will be a mix of emotions as he takes his place on the St Johnstone bench.

The 33-year-old midfielder will be disappointed not to have retained a starting place after facing Livingston.

However, he will be relieved not to have missed another cup final. Davidson was injured for St Johnstone's one Scottish Cup triumph in 2014 and this season's League Cup victory - and he had been a doubt for today until his return last weekend.

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St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson hopes that his side's League Cup win and journey to today's finale will overcome setbacks caused by players being forced into Covid-19 self-isolation.

"It's obviously been very tough the last three weeks," he tells BBC Scotland. "It has been a testing time and the only good thing is that they were all back on Wednesday and we have assessed who is good and ready to go and picked the team accordingly.

"We've been here three times this season and won them, so that takes a bit of the pressure off. But every game we've played against Hibs this season could have gone either way and it will be a real tough game as Jack Ross' side have been fantastic as well, finishing third."

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It's been an incredible year for Hibs striker Kevin Nisbet. His dad died just before December's Scottish Cup semi-final defeat by Hearts in which he missed a crucial penalty.

The former Partick Thistle player has come back strong though. Eighteen goals. A first Scotland cap. Heading to the Euros. Will there also be a Scottish Cup winners medal?

Hibs famously had to wait 114 years between their second and third Scottish Cup triumphs.

The 'Sir David Gray' final in 2016 was one of the best in living memory, as they beat Rangers 3-2 with a goal in the last minute from their captain.

You, the lovely BBC Sport audience, actually voted it the best ever final.

Only Celtic have reached more finals in this competition than Hibs' five since the year 2000. Their record stands at W1 L4, though. They're on the verge of another slice of glory...

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Tommy Wright left St Johnstone a year ago as their greatest ever manager after a stellar seven-year spell which included a 2014 Scottish Cup win.

A year on, and Callum Davidson stands on the cusp of overtaking him, at least in terms of trophies. Their overall improvement this term, and actually since October when they were bottom of the league, has been remarkable.

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Hibs head coach Jack Ross thinks being able to make changes last weekend - and overcoming their recent semi-final woes - will stand his side in good stead.

"We earned that luxury of doing that last week and it helped as it allowed us to rest some who had bumps and bruises and we've had that nice clear week of preparations," he tells BBC Scotland.

"For the players psychologically, it was important to leave this stadium as winners on the last occasion we were here, so the dynamics have changed. Even when you arrive at the stadium, there's a different feeling for you.

"They have had tastes of both sides of it and it is the most recent one they want today at the end of the game."

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Olympic curler Eve Muirhead has got her whole farm kitted out in Saints gear...commitment.

Since Hibs returned to the top flight in 2017, they have struggled to get the better of St Johnstone.

In fact, they've only won three of the 13 meetings since, including one of five this season - and that was back in August.

St Johnstone have won three of those, drawing one. Plenty of reason to be positive for Saintees.

Make sure to watch cup final Sportscene right now on BBC One Scotland to catch St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson playing a round of golf with an old pal Jamie Murray.

Both are nae mugs on the course...

Amid all the uncertainties of Covid-19 self-isolation and lack of training sessions as a result, St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson makes six changes from the side that drew 0-0 at home to Livingston in last weekend's Premiership finale.

Quarter-final hero Zander Clark returns in goal in place of on-loan Hearts man Zdeněk Zlamal, with Liam Gordon replacing James Brown in defence.

Highly-rated young Northern Ireland international Ali McCann and the experienced Craig Bryson are chosen ahead of Murray Davidson and Liam Craig in central midfield.

Chris Kane, who scored in the quarter-final and semi-final is up front in place of Guy Melamed, who scored in the opening two rounds.

On-loan Rangers winger Glenn Middleton, who scored one and set up one as a substitute in the semi - and also scored Saints' winner against Hibs in their last league meeting, is on the wing in place of Stevie May.

Billy Dodds
Former Scotland striker on BBC Sportsound

Seven years on from their first major trophy, St Johnstone have the chance to become only the second non-Old Firm club to win two domestic honours in the same season, with Aberdeen, in 1990, the only side to do so other than Celtic and Rangers.

Two cup wins and European qualification in Callum Davidson's first campaign would make it - arguably - the best 2020/21 season (pound for pound) of any club in Britain.

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Jack Ross' Hibs are on a mission to rid themselves of a (probably unfair) bottlers tag.

There was a feeling among supporters that their team failed to turn up on the big occasion, chiefly when they were routed 3-0 by St Johnstone in the League Cup semi-final in January, and before that, edged out by rivals Hearts in the delayed semi-final of last season's Scottish Cup.

In the last third of the season, though, they have stepped up, beating Aberdeen to third and easing into this final.

It would be the ultimate sign of their improved mentality if they were to do the business today.

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After those few nervous moments for Hibs fans, it can be confirmed that the only three players retain their place after last weekend's goalless draw at home to Celtic in the Premiership

Ryan Porteous remains in the heart of defence and Alex Gogic and Joe Newell are in midfield.

It means a return for Hibs' high-scoring trio - Martin Boyle, Kevin Nisbet and the man who is joint top scorer in the Scottish Cup this season, Christian Doidge.

Seven of the eight players dropping out fill the substitutes' bench.

Eleven players in St Johnstone's team graphic. 1-0 to Saints' social media team...

Hibs so confident they were going to line up with 10. Scenes.

I can confirm Martin Boyle IS playing, and Hibs have chosen to field a full XI.

Eight changes from the draw with Celtic on the last day of the season, as expected.

The eagle-eyed among you might have noticed there are only 10 players listed on Hibs' team line-up graphic. Martin Boyle is listed in the text, but not the graphic.

Hence why they've now deleted the tweet and it's not showing up below.

A good start. Hopefully the team is in better form...

Eight St Johnstone players had been forced to self-isolate in recent weeks and five returned to training on Wednesday.

However, manager Callum Davidson did not expect to know until Friday who would be available, with his selection determined by the latest test results due on Thursday and players' level of match-sharpness.

He pointed out that, since their 1-0 win over Hibs at Easter Road in the league on 1 May, they had only been able to have "one or two proper training sessions". How big an impact that has, only time will tell.