Dundee boss James McPake tells BBC Sportsound: "These are great games to play in and to manage in them is the next best thing.

"I love this occasion. I love the ones here [Dens Park]. Derby wins are for the fans, but what we need are points. We're in a dangerous position, no-one needs to tell us that. We need to fight and scrap."

On Leigh Griffiths, McPake confirms the on-loan Celtic striker's time at the club "officially ended today" but "there are talks ongoing" in regards to his future at Dens Park.

Rovers manager John McGlynn has refused to add any more to the club statement defending the signing of David Goodwillie from Clyde.

He tells BBC Scotland that the former Scotland striker misses out tonight as he arrived with a hamstring injury.

Rovers have faced criticism for signing the 32-year-old in light of the 2017 civil case that ruled him to be a rapist and ordered him to pay damages.

Dundee United head coach Tam Courts tells BBC Sportsound: "The difficult thing is these games are hard to predict.

"We are on the back of a strong week and we're coming here really positive and looking forward to the occasion.

"We missed Ryan [Edwards] on Saturday. We'll see a towering commanding display from our captain tonight.

"The fact we have Tony Watt, Marc McNulty and Nicky Clark starting, it's an exciting line up. I wanted to send a strong signal to the players, we're here to win the game."

County are without a win in three games but will take heart from Saturday's 3-3 draw at home to leaders Rangers as they look to stay clear of the bottom two.

Aberdeen are desperately trying to stay in contention for European qualification places, but their recent recovery ended with a 1-0 defeat away to St Mirren last time out.

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St Mirren are seeking a fourth consecutive win after having gone 11 without one, while visitors Motherwell's only win in their last four outings came against Greenock Morton after extra time in the Scottish Cup.

However, Well are unbeaten in their last four meetings with the Buddies - and on their latest six visits to St Mirren Park.

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Callum Davidson will be looking to pay back chairman Steve Brown's loyalty as the St Johnstone manager looks to end the bottom-placed side's 12-game run without a victory.

The Perth club have made no less than nine signings since the turn of the year, but scoring remains their Achilles heel and they have not found the net in three games - and have also lost recent signing Nadir Ciftci, the former Celtic and Dundee United, striker to injury.

A victory won't come easy tonight either against a Livingston side who inflicted a bruising 3-0 defeat at McDiarmid Park in October, are unbeaten at home in four games and gave Rangers a run for their money last week in a 1-0 defeat before a fine 3-2 win away to Hibs.

Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson tells BBC Scotland that John Souttar failed a fitness test earlier today and that an offer submitted from Rangers yesterday was "not anywhere near what we were looking for".

He says he's "absolutely delighted" to have retained the Scotland defender for the rest of the season and insists that Souttar is "committed" despite the Scotland centre-half signing a pre-contract agreement to join Rangers in the summer.

As for the derby, Neilson adds: "When you come into these games, you can't look at the league or form. We can do all the talking we want but we have to turn up, first and foremost."

Hearts are comfortably best of the rest behind the Old Firm and have won four of their last five league outings to travel across the city with a 12-point lead over their rivals.

If the visitors make it a third successive victory at Easter Road then Hibs can surely kiss goodbye to any hope of finishing third for the second season running.

Shaun Maloney opened with two wins after replacing Jack Ross, but Hibs have struggled since, taking just one point from their past three Premiership matches and they needed an extra-time goal to squeeze past Cove Rangers in the Scottish Cup.

Maloney could really do with a positive result to quell doubts over his rookie manager status. But, rather oddly, there hasn't been a home success in this fixture in eight attempts.

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David Martindale makes two changes to the side looking to inflict further misery on basement dwellers St Johnstone.

Top scorer Bruce Anderson is restored to the starting line up in place of Joel Nouble, while James Penrice comes in for Jackson Longridge, who picked up a knock in the 3-2 win against Hibs at the weekend, at left-back.

Saints boss Callum Davidson hands a debut to former Hibs midfielder Melker Hallberg, with Ali Crawford also coming into the midfield. They replace Murray Davidson and Cammy MacPherson drop out.

Nadir Ciftci misses out, as expected, through injury, with Stevie May replacing the Turk up front.

Former Sligo Rovers defender John Mahon, Tom Sang, the defender on loan from Cardiff City, and former Derby County striker Jahmal Hector-Ingram could all make their debuts from the bench.

John Collins
Former Hibs manager on Sportsound

Winger Jordan Jones starts for St Mirren after joining on loan from Wigan Athletic, but St Mirren begin life without Jamie McGrath who has gone in the opposite direction.

Also coming in on transfer deadline day was Alex Gogic from Hibernian, but the midfielder begins on the bench.

Jones and Richard Tait coming in for McGrath and Scott Tanser.

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A knee injury rules Barry Maguire out for Motherwell, although the club insist the midfielder's injury is not a serious one.

Joe Efford, the winger signed from Waasland-Beveren, could feature at some point after his paperwork was finalised in time to make the bench.

Barry Maguire's injury absence opens a place up for Liam Donnelly, while Bevis Mugabi returns to the defence, with Ross Tierney dropping to the bench.

County make three changes to the side that drew with Rangers on Saturday, with goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer out of the matchday squad and replaced with Ross Laidlaw. Jack Baldwin is also out of the squad and drops out of the squad too and is replaced with Keith Watson in defence.

Midfielder Harry Paton starts from the bench this evening, with striker Dominic Samuel coming into the starting XI.

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Former Den Haag striker Vicente Besuijen makes his Dons debut in Dingwall, while midfielder Dylan McGeouch and wing-back Jonny Hayes return from injury.

Teddy Jenks and Dean Campbell drop to the bench and the other change from their previous starting line-up is the absence of Ryan Hedges, the Wales midfielder who completed a move to Blackburn Rovers in midweek.

Celtic wing-back Adam Montgomery, who joined on loan on Monday, also makes the bench.

Dundee make four changes for tonight's derby as Leicester City Vontae Daley-Campbell is thrown in for his debut on loan after signing on deadline day.

The right-back comes in for Christie Elliot, with Paul McGowan, Luke McCowan and Leigh Griffiths also dropping out after last Wednesday's draw at St Johnstone.

The other three incoming players are midfielder Charlie Adam, striker Danny Mullen and forward Niall McGinn, who makes his first start for the club, while new signing from Partick Thistle Zak Rudden settles for a place on the bench.

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As for United, they make three switches after Saturday's late defeat at Celtic

Right-back Kieran Freeman, centre-back Ross Graham and striker Marc McNulty are all in.

Out go Lewis Neilson, Ilmari Niskanen and Archie Meekison, while two new midfield signings - on-loan Arsenal man Tim Akinola and Scotland cap Kevin McDonald - feature on the bench.

Coverage of tonight's games has just begun on Sportsound on BBC Radio Scotland MW.

Join host Richard Gordon by clicking the link above.

It's a big night for goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski, who makes his Hibs debut in a derby!

The 23-year-old last played a senior game on loan at Dumbarton in December 2020, when he let in four against Montrose.

First-choice goalie Matt Macey drops out of the squad altogether.

Joe Newell is restored to the home midfield, Josh Doig returns on the left and Rocky Bushiri starts in defence as Josh Campbell and Demetri Mitchell drop out, along with the injured Paul McGinn and Macey.

Hearts centre-back Craig Halkett is sidelined for several weeks with a hamstring problem and there is no place for John Souttar either after the club rebuffed efforts from Rangers to take him to Ibrox before the summer. The Scotland international limped out at half-time at the weekend.

Tony Sibbick makes a second debut in defence after his return to Tynecastle from Barnsley and winger Barrie McKay is back after being rested for Saturday's 2-0 win over Motherwell. He replaces Gary Mackay-Steven.

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Hibernian: Dabrowski, Porteous, Bushiri, Stevenson, Cadden, Doyle-Hayes, Newell, Doig, Mueller, Nisbet, Doidge.

Substitutes: Mitchell, Wright, Mitchell, Jasper, Allan, McGregor, Scott, Campbell, Henderson.

Heart of Midlothian: Gordon, Sibbick, Moore, Kingsley, Atkinson, Devlin, Baningime, Halliday, McKay, Boyce, Simms.

Substitutes: Stewart, Haring, McEneff, Woodburn, McKay-Steven, Cochrane, Henderson, Ginnelly, Pollock.

Up in Tayside, we have the most crucial derby since Dundee beat United to relegate the Tannadice club from the top flight in May 2016.

It's the Dark Blues who are in trouble this time, sitting second bottom, five points behind Ross County and just two in front of St Johnstone as pressure mounts on manager James McPake.

They and United have, though, shown a slight improvement after six consecutive defeats, with Dundee beating Dumbarton in the Scottish Cup before drawing 0-0 away to Saints, although neither display was particularly inspiring.

United beat Kilmarnock in the cup and County in the league before coming within a couple of minutes of a draw away to Celtic on Saturday - and are unbeaten in their last four Dundee derbies.

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The transfer window in Scotland wasn't all about Aaron Ramsey to Rangers, of course, with all clubs in the top-flight making changes to their squads.

Hibs and St Johnstone were busiest in the Premiership, with Ross County having the quietest time during January.

If you want a rundown of all the comings and goings last month, click the links below.

• Premiership ins and outs
• Championship ins and outs
• League 1 ins and outs
• League 2 ins and outs

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Dundee: Legzdins, Daley-Campbell, Fontaine, Sweeney, Kerr, Byrne, Anderson, Adam, McGinn, McMullan, Mullen.

Substitutes: Lawlor, McGhee, McDaid, Chapman, Mulligan, Elliot, McCowan, Robertson, Rudden.

Dundee United: Siegrist, Freeman, Graham, Edwards, McMann, Butcher, Levitt, Harkes, Clark, McNulty, Watt.

Substitutes: Eriksson, Smith, McDonald, Niskanen, Pawlett, Akinola, Meekison, Neilson, Mochrie.