St Johnstone: Clark, Rooney, Kerr, Muller, Booth, McCart, Davidson, McCann, Middleton, May, Kane.

Substitutes: Parish, Brown, Devine, Craig, Ballantyne, Hendry, O'Halloran.

Dundee United: Carson, Smith, Edwards, Mulgrew, Robson, Fuchs, Sporle, Pawlett, Levitt, Clark, McNulty.

Substitutes: Reynolds, Hoti, Freeman, Mochrie, Watson, Newman, Duffy.

Nathan Patterson is the subject of a £5m bid from Everton according to one newspaper report today.

The 19-year-old continues on the bench but will no doubt be the focus of the TV cameras.

Image source, SNS

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson tells BBC Scotland: "It's always a massive game when Aberdeen come to town, but doubly so when it's the first full-house of the season for us and we've sold 20,000 tickets for today.

"We are sitting in a great position in the league and whoever wins today goes top and we've spoken about that - but first and foremost putting a performance on."

Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass jokes to BBC Sportsound that captain Scott Brown is a "popular figure" at Tynecastle.

"He's looking forward to it and so am I," Glass says. "I think it'll be an attractive one.

"I'm not concerned [about players' fatigue]. It's a quick turnaround, but the players knew it was coming and they knew they were going to play in a great atmosphere.

"It's a long time until the end of the season, but it would be nice to be top. I'm sure Hearts will think the same."

Ross County manager Malky Mackay tells BBC Sportsound he hopes to add "two or three" signings before next week's deadline.

"We're still very light on numbers," says Mackay, who has overhauled the squad since taking charge this summer.

"I want our new players to buy into the Ross County way. Test yourself against the best in the country and that's what Rangers are.

"I'm certainly not fooled by their slow start to the season. I look at a very good team who are drilled, full of depth and strength - and the favourites to win the league again this year."

Image source, sns

I'd put this one down for a draw if I were you.

Every single one of last season's four league meetings between these sides ended all square, with both games at McDiarmid Park finishing goalless.

Then there's the fact St Johnstone have drawn five of their six games so far this season in 90 minutes, needing penalties to see off Arbroath in the League Cup last week.

Stalemates galore.

Hibs head coach Jack Ross tells BBC Sportsound: "It's slight mixed emotions for us. We didn't start the game brilliantly.

"Our reaction, character and performance wise second half was excellent. We looked comfortable, but we concede a soft goal and pass up opportunities that could kill the game.

"It's a sign of how far we've came that we have seven points from three games and we're still a little bit frustrated."

Image source, SNS

Dundee manager James McPake tells BBC Sportsound: "Both goalkeepers were worked all afternoon. I'm disappointed it's a point, but I'm pleased with the character the players showed.

"We need to be like this when we are at home. We started with a dynamic front three and you could see that in the game.

"The one big negative is the penalty decision, it's not a penalty. The minimal contact is outside the box. We should've been in at half-time 1-0 up."

Image source, SNS

Perhaps surprisingly, Callum Davidson makes just two changes to his St Johnstone side with the Conference League return leg against LASK looming.

Michael O'Halloran drops to the bench and is replaced with Stevie May up front. In defence, there's no place in the squad for Liam Gordon, so Millwall loanee Hayden Muller plays instead.

Dundee United are without goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist due to injury, so Trevor Carson makes his first appearance for the club.

New loan signing from Manchester United Dylan Levitt comes into midfield as Ian Harkes drops out. Darren Watson is also replaced as Marc McNulty comes into the attack.

Ben Paton, previously of Blackburn Rovers, is handed his County debut, while fellow midfielder David Cancola and defender Harry Clarke make their first starts.

Dropping to the bench from the 3-0 loss to Hibs are Coll Donaldson and Keith Watson, while Harry Paton, the brother of debutant Ben, is not in the squad.

There's a place on the bench for County's newest signing, winger Joseph Hungbo, who joined on loan from Watford last week.

Heart of Midlothian: Gordon, M Smith, Souttar, Haring, Baningime, Boyce, Mackay-Steven, Halliday, Cochrane, Halkett, Ginelly.

Substitutes: Stewart, Walker, McEneff, Henderson, C Smith, Denholm.

Aberdeen: Lewis, McCrorie, Gallagher, Brown, Ramirez, Ojo, Hayes, McLennan, Ferguson, Jenks, Ramsay.

Substitutes: Woods, McGinn, Emmanuel-Thomas, McGeouch, Gurr, Campbell, Hancock.

St Johnstone put in another brilliant display in Europe on Thursday and were unlucky to come away with just a draw against LASK in Austria.

With a huge chance to secure group stage football for the first time, it would only be natural for them to prioritise Thursday's return leg at McDiarmid Park.

Regardless, this has to be considered the best Saints side ever. So just enjoy them, St Johnstone fans.

Glen Kamara returns to the midfield as Rangers make two changes from Thursday's win over Alashkert.

The Finn, having been suspended for that Europa League game, replaces John Lundstrum, who drops to the bench following his red card against the Armenians.

Also among the substitutes is centre-back Filip Helander, with Leon Balogun slotting in to replace the Swede.

Winger Ryan Kent keeps his place despite struggling for form and being taken off at half-time on Thursday.

Rangers' trip to the Highlands precedes a much lengthier away day, with Steven Gerrard's men in Armenia on Thursday on Europa League play-off duty against Alashkert.

In last week's first leg, Rangers ground out a 1-0 win despite losing John Lundstram to a first-half red card.

Alfredo Morelos was again the Ibrox side's European talisman, scoring the winner to take his club record tally to 25 goals in continental competition.

Now Rangers seek to embark on another Premiership run after Dundee United dished out a first league defeat in 41 games to Gerrard's men a fortnight ago - and with the manager urging them to "wake up now" after a lacklustre start to their season.

Image source, SNS

Ross County are out to make history with their first-ever win over Rangers at the 16th attempt.

Recent meetings have been particularly one-sided, with Rangers winning nine in a row and County failing to score in the last six.

Having started with a league draw and defeat, Malky Mackay faces being the first County manager since Derek Adams in 2014 to go without victory in the first three games of a top-flight league season.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland at McDiarmid Park

The build-up to this latest edition of the Tayside derby has very much been overshadowed by St Johnstone’s continental exploits.

After their hugely impressive 1-1 draw against LASK in Austria - they stand tantalisingly close to the cash-rich group stages of the Europa Conference League – with manager Callum Davidson describing Thursday’s return leg as the biggest game in the club’s history.

Despite all that, and the obvious excitement that is in the air in Perth, they can’t afford to take their eye off the ball as they return to domestic business against Dundee United at McDiarmid Park this afternoon.

Especially so considering they are still looking for their first league win of the season after two draws - and against a side looking to build on their win over Rangers.

Talking of that game from which a new Premiership leader could emerge, Aberdeen go to Tynecastle on the back of a 1-0 defeat away to Qarabag in the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off.

Stephen Glass will be hoping his side have a better surface to play on in the capital after suffering defeat in Baku on what the Dons boss described as a "disgrace" of a pitch.

The visiting manager will also be keen to put an end to back-to-back defeats after last weekend's cup exit away to second-tier Raith Rovers. A big week ahead, a big win desired.

Image source, SNS

Ross County: Laidlaw, Randall, Iacovitti, Clarke, Tillson, Cancola, Spittal, Charles-Cook, B Paton, Callachan, White.

Substitutes: Shaw, Samuel, Robertson, Watson, Hungbo, Donaldson, Maynard-Brewer.

Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Bassey, Kamara, Davis, Aribo, Kent, Hagi, Morelos.

Substitutes: McCrorie, Lundstram, Helander, Itten, Patterson, Roofe, Arfield.

That Premiership lead for Hibs might not last for long as both Aberdeen and Hearts will be kicking off soon and wins for them will take them to the summit by the end of the day.

Stay with us for three more top flight games.