Rangers visit Tynecastle Park on Monday as they meet Hearts in a high-stakes Scottish Premiership matchday 35 clash.
Rangers are in third position in the league table, four points behind league leaders Hearts. With just four matches remaining in the season including this one, anything other than a win will make it difficult for Danny Rohl’s men in the race for the title.
Hearts vs Rangers – Match preview and team news
- Date: Monday, 4th May.
- Kick-off: 5:30pm BST.
- Venue: Tynecastle Park, Edinburg.
Hearts team news
Derek McInnes is juggling a mixture of optimism and ongoing injury frustrations. The biggest boost for Hearts is the potential return of Cammy Devlin and Harry Milne; both are undergoing late fitness tests, with the coaching staff confident that at least one will be ready for selection.
However, the squad remains stretched in several departments. Veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon remains unavailable due to a combination of a shoulder injury and illness, while the team is also missing Calem Nieuwenhof and Oisin McEntee.
Tomas Magnusson and Eduardo Ageu remain long-term absentees. Finlay Pollock is another player sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Despite these gaps, the Jam Tarts will rely heavily on the red-hot form of Lawrence Shankland to lead the line. They aim to maintain their three-point lead at the top of the table in front of the Tynecastle crowd.
Rangers team news
Manager Danny Rohl has received a timely boost in defence, as left-back Tuur Rommens has returned to full training and is expected to be in the matchday squad.
There were lingering concerns over John Souttar, but the former Hearts defender is widely tipped to shake off a minor knock and will be available against his old club.
Ryan Naderi is still battling for fitness and remains a major doubt. Youssef Chermiti, who has five goal involvements in his last three appearances, is set to lead the line once again.
With the title race reaching a boiling point, Rohl is expected to field a mobile midfield, anchored by Nicolas Raskin and Tochi Chukwuani, to counter Hearts’ physical approach. A win is essential to keep their title hopes alive.
Form
Hearts
Hearts enter this fixture in commanding form, currently sitting atop the Premiership with 73 points. Under Derek McInnes, the Jam Tarts have secured 10 points from their last five league outings (W3, D1, L1), most recently claiming a crucial 2-1 away victory against rivals Hibernian. Their defensive solidity has been a hallmark of this campaign, conceding just 29 goals in 34 matches while maintaining a strong unbeaten record at Tynecastle Park.
Rangers
Rangers are looking to bounce back after a surprising 3-2 defeat to Motherwell, which snapped a prior run of high-scoring victories. Before that slip-up, the Gers were in prolific form, netting 14 goals in three wins against Aberdeen (4-1), Dundee United (4-2), and Falkirk (6-3). Sitting third with 69 points and a game in hand over Celtic, they boast the league’s best goal difference (+34) but must improve their recent defensive consistency to stay in the title hunt.
Predicted lineups
Hearts: Schwolow; Steinwender, Halkett, Findlay, Kingsley; Kerjota, Baningime, Leonard, Kyziridis; Shankland, Braga
Rangers: Butland; Tavernier, Djiga, Fernandez, Meghoma; Raskin, Chukwuani; Gassama, Aasgaard, Moore; Chermiti
How to watch Hearts vs Rangers?
Hearts vs Rangers is being shown live on Sky Sports in the UK, with coverage listed on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, and Sky Sports Ultra HDR.
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