Amid rumours that he could join Giovanni van Bronckhorst's backroom team at Ibrox, Kevin Thomson remains manager of runaway fourth-tier leaders Kelty Hearts as they host in-form Stenhousemuir.

The visitors are still only fifth in the table but have won five in a row and are unbeaten in six, but Kelty are themselves without a loss in 12 and brushed aside Stenny 4-1 at Ochilview earlier this season.

Second-top Forfar Athletic will be confident of retaining their unbeaten run in nine home games this season and recording a fourth consecutive win at Station Park as they host a Cowdenbeath side sitting six points adrift at the bottom, without a win in 13 outings and losing five in a row.

It is a reflection of their respective starts to the season that St Mirren remain two places and three points above Livingston despite the Paisley side having gone four games without a win while the visitors are unbeaten in the same period.

Indeed, David Martindale's Lions have not lost in their latest three trips away from Almondvale.

They have a win apiece in match-ups this season, with Livi prevailing after a penalty shootout in the League Cup after a 1-1 draw in August and the Buddies winning the league encounter 1-0 on their return to Tony Macaroni Arena in October.

So will St Mirren get back to winning ways? Thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for no...

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The situation at Fir Park is almost a mirror image of the one at Tannadice.

Motherwell's 2-0 win away to Aberdeen ended a five-game run without one, while Hearts ended their four-match run without a victory by thumping Dundee United 5-2.

However, Well have gone three home games without a win as they look to avenge their 2-0 defeat at Tynecastle in August and prevent the visitors moving up to second in the Premiership.

Will it be a Well victory? Thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for a Hearts win.

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This North East derby features two sides looking to bounce back from chastening defeats.

Last weekend's 5-2 reverse away to Hearts leaves fourth-top hosts United without a win in three games after two consecutive defeats.

A 2-0 home loss to Motherwell halted Aberdeen's three-game unbeaten run and head down the A90 without an away win in seven outings.

However, they did beat United 2-0 the last time they met at Pittodrie in August.

Will United come out on top? Thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for the Dons.

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It's first versus second in League 1 as leaders Airdrieonians seek a sixth successive home win as they host a Cove Rangers side who are themselves unbeaten in four outings and who won the reverse fixture 1-0 in September.

Fifth-top hosts fourth at Falkirk Stadium, with the hosts unbeaten in four and Montrose without a loss in seven league games, drawing five of them, including a 2-2 draw at home to the Bairns in September.

Third-top Queen's Park are without a win in four games, drawing three in a row, as they face Peterhead, where the Glasgow side have not won in seven visits since February 2013.

It's second-bottom hosting bottom at Broadwood as hosts Clyde seek their first win in seven outings since winning 2-0 in Methil against today's visitors, East Fife, in September.

Meanwhile, Dumbarton are without a win in seven outings as they visit Alloa Athletic.

After Inverness Caledonian Thistle's 2-1 win away to Queen of the South last night, Kilmarnock's lead at the top is down to a point as they host fifth-top Arbroath, who are unbeaten in five games.

Raith Rovers, unbeaten in 10 games, will be favourites to reclaim second place as they host a Greenock Morton side who have won just twice in 11 and have lost their last five meetings with their Kirkcaldy hosts.

At the other end of the table, Dunfermline Athletic can move off the bottom of the table should they build on their first league win of the season - in John Hughes' debut as manager - away to Caley Thistle.

Visitors Ayr arrive without a win in five outings but unbeaten in five against the Pars, winning 3-1 at home in September.

Partick Thistle are unbeaten in six outings as they host a Hamilton Academical side who have not won at Firhill in eight visits since August 2014.

Stephen O'Donnell starred in Scotland's fine World Cup win over Denmark after returning from injury, but the right-back has to wait for his return to the Motherwell starting line-up and is named on the bench.

Striker Kevin van Veen, who was the two-goal hero last time out against Aberdeen, is suspended, midfielder Mark O'Hara is also out injured along with Finnish centre-half Juhani Ojala, while on-loan winger Jordan Roberts can't play against his parent club.

In come Ricki Lamie, Callum Slattery, Kaiyne Woolery and Connor Shields.

Striker Liam Boyce and right-back Michael Smith both return to the Hearts squad after being missing since October.

Smith starts in place of Craig Halkett, while Boyce has to make do with being a substitute.

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Callum Butcher is preferred to 21-year-old Declan Glass as Dundee United beef up their midfield after a 5-2 defeat by Hearts last time out.

Glass is among the substitutes for Thomas Courts' men, who are awaiting a work permit for new signing Mathew Cudjoe, the Ghana Under-20 midfielder.

Aberdeen make a couple of changes from the 2-0 home loss to Motherwell, with suspended midfielder Lewis Ferguson dropping out of the squad along with centre-half David Bates.

Jack Gurr makes his first appearance since August, while fellow full-back Jack MacKenzie returns after a four-game injury absence.

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Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland at Tannadice

United and Aberdeen last squared off at Pittodrie on the opening day of the league season, with the Dons running out comfortable 2-0 winners.

Anyone who thought what happened on that day was a pointer as to how each of their campaigns would play out has been proved wrong.

United have recovered well and are currently fourth in the table, six points above Aberdeen, three places below.

Despite all of that, the hosts go into the game without a win in their last three games as they face an Aberdeen side whose recent recovery came to shuddering a halt after a disappointing home defeat to Motherwell last time out.

An encounter that certainly appears to fall in to the "too close to call" category.

St Mirren make one change following their 0-0 draw with St Johnstone before the international break, with Curtis Main's place in the starting line-up taken by fellow striker Eamonn Brophy. Main makes the bench.

Two changes for Livingston with defender Jack McMillan and Colombian midfielder Cristian Montano coming in for the suspended Ayo Obileye and Sean Kelly, who is not in the matchday squad.

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Motherwell: Kelly, Mugabi, Solholm, Lamie, McGinley, Goss, Slattery, Maguire, Shields, Woolery, Watt.

Substitutes: Fox, O'Donnell, Carroll, O'Connor, Amaluzor, Cornelius, Grimshaw.

Heart of Midlothian: Gordon, Smith, Kingsley, Souttar, Baningme, Woodburn, Devlin, Moore, Cochrane, McKay, Ginnelly.

Substitutes: Stewart, Haring, Walker, McEneff, Boyce, Mackay-Steven, Gnanduillet.

With leaders Rangers and Celtic preoccupied on League Cup semi-final duty, it is a big chance for Hearts to split the two Glasgow sides and move into second spot should they beat hosts Motherwell.

Aberdeen can't afford to lose at Tannadice if they want to stay in touch with hosts United in the race for European football.

St Mirren: Alnwick, Fraser, Shaughnessy, McCarthy, Tait, Flynn, Power, Tanser, McGrath, Ronan, Brophy.

Substitutes: Lyness, Dunne, Erhahon, Kiltie, McAllister, Dennis, Main.

Livingston: Stryjek, Devlin, Fitzwater, Parkes, McMillan, Holt, Omeonga, Montana, Bailey, Shinnie, Anderson.

Substitutes: Maley, Longridge, Penrice, Sibbald, Forrest, Kabia, Panayiotou.

Dundee United: Siegrist, Mulgrew, Edwards, Freeman, McMann, Butcher, Fuchs, Harkes, Pawlett, Niskanen, Clark.

Substitutes: Carson, Appere, Meekison, Biamou, Glass, Hoti, K Smith.

Aberdeen: Lewis, Gurr, MacKenzie, McCrorie, Brown, Ojo, Campbell, McGeouch, Watkins, Hedges, Ramirez.

Substitutes: Woods, McGinn, Emmanuel-Thomas, Hayes, Jenks, Samuels, Longstaff.

Here's a reminder of today's fixtures, with what is always a big occasion at Tannadice as Dundee United host Aberdeen, while Hearts are eyeing second place at Fir Park.

Former Scotland internationals Willie Miller, Leanne Crichton, Charlie Adam and Derek Ferguson are among the pundits joining host Richard Gordon on Sportsound, which has just started on BBC Radio Scotland.

Click the link above...

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The game of the day at Hampden Park this evening as holders St Johnstone take on in-form Celtic in the first of this weekend's Scottish League Cup semi-finals.

However, before then there's a packed programme of big matches in all four senior leagues, with three remaining in the Premiership.

Stay with us for the build-up, live commentary and post-match reaction on BBC Radio Scotland and the BBC website.