Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers tells BBC Scotland: "We play a lot of games this month. It's a chance for Oh [Hyeon-gyu]to come in, who's been excellent in his contributions. It just freshens up team really, and brings energy.

"The frontline needs freshening up to bring that speed and freshness, there's the chance to do that with with Mikey [Johnston] and Oh.

"We've got a big squad. Can't play every game. This is a game where we need energy and intensity.

"Tomoki is someone I would have played earlier if he hasn't been injured. He can play deeper and that'll allow Callum [McGregor] to push further forward."

Rangers have won each of their last four league trips to Tynecastle. The last time they managed five in a row was from 1998 to 2001 under Dick Advocaat.

The Ibrox men enjoyed a comfortable 3-1 League Cup semi-final win over Hearts at Hampden in early November, just a week after finding two late, late goals at home to come from behind and beat the Edinburgh side in dramatic fashion.

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Hearts have quietly climbed up to third place, winning four in a row in the top flight for the first time since 2018.

Three of those have been by 1-0, which speaks to a strong defensive unit. Throw in the predatory instincts of Lawrence Shankland and that's a pretty handy combination.

However, Hearts have lost nine of their last 10 meetings with Rangers in all competitions (D1) and they haven't beaten the Ibrox side in the top flight since 2016-17 - when they did it twice at Tynecastle.

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Kheredine Idessane
BBC Scotland at McDiarmid Park

Quite looking forward to this gathering of the Saints. Why? Goals. There have been 13 in the last four meetings.

We've had a 4-0, a 3-0, a 2-2 and a 1-1.

Neither side in amazing form coming in, although St Mirren have only lost one of their last eight league games against the Perth Saints. St Johnstone at McDiarmid is a tough one for the Paisley men, however: stretching back to May 2015, the hosts have only lost one of their last 10 top flight home games against St Mirren.

Martin Dowden
BBC Scotland at Celtic Park

A number of Celtic's fringe players have the chance to stake a claim for more regular starts after making a second half impact in Perth.

The key for those players is consistency if they are to stay there.

It's a big opportunity for a confident Hibernian who have won their last three league games and only suffered one league defeat under Nick Montgomery. He has made an impact as the Leith side gradually creep up that table.

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Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland

The next few weeks look like being pivotal for Aberdeen and manager Barry Robson.

The League Cup final with Rangers is the showpiece game, but forget that – their most pressing priority is the bread and butter of the Premiership.

To say the Dons have laboured in the league is an understatement, and while Robson will – perhaps justifiably – highlight several mitigating factors, the bottom line is that the results haven’t been good enough.

Five of their last seven in the Premiership have been on the road and they will be hoping home comforts can help ignite their season, with five of their next six league games at Pittodrie.

St Mirren have lost four away games the spin and could really do with breaking that run.

After a flying start to the season the Buddies have been reeled in by the pack, dropping down to fourth place after Sunday's 2-0 loss at Ibrox, but a kind-looking sequence of fixtures could see them reclaim that 'best of the rest' spot for Christmas.

St Johnstone were winless in the league when they sacked Steven McLean after a 4-0 drubbing in Paisley in late October.

In the immediate aftermath the Perth side picked up seven points from three matches to escape from the bottom of the table.

They were unfortunate to lose at Tynecastle and gave Celtic a scare on Sunday, with obvious organisational strides made under Craig Levein.

St Johnstone also enjoy a good home record against St Mirren, losing just one of their last 10 Scottish Premiership encounters (W6 D3).

Hibs haven't won at Celtic Park since 2010.

The Easter Road side shipped nine goals in their two visits last season.

But they are coming into this one buoyed by three successive wins and aiming to make it three games on the trot unbeaten against the champions after a victory in Edinburgh at the end of last season and a 0-0 draw at home in late October.

Image source, Hibernian on X

Following a 6-0 demolition of Aberdeen, Celtic's last home display was a below par draw with Motherwell and the champions continued in lacklustre fashion in the first half against St Johnstone on Sunday before a half-time haranguing from Brendan Rodgers inspired a comeback victory.

Which version will we see this evening?

Celtic remain unbeaten in the Premiership but, with two draws, have already dropped points in as many home league games this season as they did in the whole of last term.

Derek McInnes had a great record against Kilmarnock when in charge of Aberdeen, losing just once (W22 D4).

Since he took over at the Ayrshire club he's beaten the Dons twice at Rugby Park but lost both visits to Pittodrie last season.

In 26 league games on the road, McInnes has overseen just two wins with Killie, with none on the board yet in this campaign.

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Aberdeen have won just two of their last 11 games in all competitions and find themselves languishing in 10th place, just three points in front of Livingston at the bottom.

Manager Barry Robson has been lamenting the number of away fixtures his team have been dealt of late but they have picked up a mere five points from five outings at Pittodrie.

If that's all a bit too gloomy, it should be pointed out that Aberdeen have won their last five home league games against Kilmarnock by an aggregate score of 11-1.

Big news at Tynecastle: Craig Gordon and Craig Halkett are back.

The Hearts keeper and centre-back return to a matchday squad for the first time in almost a year to take places on the bench.

Nathaniel Atkinson returns after three months out and he starts at right-wing back, with Kyosuke Tagawa also coming in for Yutaro Oda and Liam Boyce, who drops out altogether.

Barrie McKay, who has been out since August, also returns to the home bench.

There are two changes for Rangers as Ridvan Yilmaz replaces Borna Barisic, who is absent, at left-back.

The final switch sees Danilo come in for Cyriel Dessers up top.

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Brendan Rodgers said during the week that his fringe players would get a chance to impress.

The Celtic manager has been true to his word, as he makes three changes to the side that beat St Johnstone at the weekend.

After impressive cameos, Mikey Johnston, Oh Hyeon-Gyu and Tomoki Iwata come in, with David Turnbull, Yang Hyun-Jun and Kyogo Furuhashi dropping to the bench.

Hibs change two after their win over Aberdeen, as goalscorer Dylan Vente and 16-year-old Rory Whittaker are replaced by Elie Youan and Lewis Miller, who returns from a ban.

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Craig Levein changes just one from the side that ended up losing to Celtic after a good first-half performance. Tony Gallacher comes in for only his second start of the season - and his first since the opening day - to replace Dara Costelloe.

St Mirren change two as they look for their first away win since September. Charles Dunne goes into the defence in place of Richard Taylor, who drops out completely.

Lewis Jamieson makes his first league start of the campaign, replacing Conor McMenamin. The Northern Ireland international is on the bench.

Slobodan Rubezic's record of being the only outfield player to start every game for Aberdeen this season is over, with Angus MacDonald brought in to the back three.

James McGarry and Ester Sokler also drop to the bench, with Johnny Hayes and Duk coming into the XI.

Kilmarnock go with the same team which lost to Hearts, but new signing Gary Mackay-Steven is on the bench and could play a part against his former club.

Hearts: Clark, Atkinson, Kent, Rowles, Kingsley, Cochrane, Grant, Nieuwenhof, Baningime, Shankland, Tagawa.

Substitutes: Gordon, Halkett, Haring, Oda, Forrest, McKay, Sibbick, Denholm, Vargas.

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Yilmaz, Lundstram, Lawrence, Cantwell, McCausland, Sima, Danilo.

Substitutes: McCrorie, Souttar, Dessers, Lammers, Cifuentes, Matondo, Sterling, Roofe, Davies.

St Johnstone: Mitov, Brown, McGowan, Gordon, Robinson, Gallacher, Phillips, Smith, Kucheriavyi, Carey, Jaiyesimi.

Substitutes: Richards, May, Kane, Jephcott, Olufunwa, Sprangler, Turner-Cooke, Costelloe, Franczak.

St Mirren: Hemming, Fraser, Gogic, Dunne, Flynn, O'Hara, Boyd-Munce, Tanser, Jamieson, Ayunga, Kiltie.

Substitutes: Urminsky, Bolton, Small, Baccus, Olusanya, McMenamin, Nahmani, Greive, Mandron.

Aberdeen: Roos, Devlin, Gartenmann, Macdonald, Jensen, Hayes, Clarkson, Shinnie, McGrath, Duk, Miovski.

Substitutes: Doohan, Barron, McGarry, Sokler, Morris, Polvara, Duncan, Milne, Rubezic.

Kilmarnock: Dennis, Mayo, Findlay, Deas, Ndaba, Lyons, Watson, Donnelly, Armstrong, Watkins, Vassell.

Substitutes: O'Hara, Sanders, Davies, McKenzie, Polworth, Murray, Mackay-Steven, Kennedy, Dallas.

Celtic: Hart, A. Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, Iwata, McGregor, O'Riley, M. Johnston, Palma, Oh

Substitutes: Bain, Phillips, Kyogo, Turnbull, Holm, Tilio, Bernardo, Forrest, Ralston

Hibernian: Marshall, Miller, Fish, Bushiri, Stevenson, Levitt, Newell, Campbell, Tavares, Boyle, Youan

Substitutes: Wollacott, Hanlon, Vente, Jeggo, Doidge, Harbottle, Molotnikov, Whittaker, Landers