Craig Gordon left impressed by trio of Hearts signings as duo help fix an issue that's bugged team this season

Craig Gordon has been left pleased with how a pair of new recruits directly ahead of him have coped with being flung in the Hearts deep end.

The veteran keeper is preparing for another derby clash in his long and illustrious career, Neil Critchley’s men currently thriving in a run of form that’s shot them in European football contention. They have found solidity in central defence with winter signings Jamie McCart and Michael Steinwender hitting the ground running.

Both have proven solid in defence and proven an attacking outlet when needed as they look to derail a Hibs team this weekend who are yet to lose this calendar year. Amid injuries to the likes of Craig Halkett, Frankie Kent and Stephen Kingsley, Gordon is full of praise for McCart and Steinwender.

Gordon explained ahead of the Premiership battle in Leith: “Really good because that's an area of the pitch you don't really want to change. We've been forced to change that quite a lot this season. A lot of defensive changes through injuries and they've gelled together really well in such a short space of time.

“It's not an easy thing to do but really pleased with the way things have been going with the two of them. They've got a real appetite to keep the ball out the back of the net which is great to play behind. You want to try and keep the defence as settled as possible in any team. It's not ideal to have that chopping and changing from week to week but I think overall we've managed to deal with that.

“We've had a number of different players playing at centre-half throughout the season. The two guys mentioned are the ones that are in position at the moment and starting to form a decent partnership. Long may that continue that we have a settled partnership in that area of the pitch.

“You can't legislate for everything that's going to happen in a game. There are a few pointers in training that will come up very early on in the first few training sessions before we even get to play a match. There is a little bit of chat but it's just getting the feel in different situations for what each other is likely to do and where we expect each other's positions to be. That only comes with playing matches.”

Another who has shone since signing is Elton Kabangu. He has provided a focal point in attack Gordon has been happy to see his team have, explaining: “He's been fantastic for us. He's brought goals to the team. He's brought a lot of energy both on the pitch and off it, even to the training sessions.

“He's been a massive reason why things have been going well of late. He's really galvanised everybody, to have somebody of that quality playing at that end of the pitch for us. It's been fantastic and it's brought the best out of other players on the pitch as well. It's fantastic to have him here. Let's hope he can enjoy the derby as well.”

Gordon has had brilliant highs and sobering lows in derby battle, so he knows all about what clashes with Hibs can bring. He believes the current Gorgie dressing room has the right blend of experience to cope with the challenges that are ahead. The keeper added: “We've got a good mix in our squad. Good, experienced players and also ones that have played many derbies before and not just the Edinburgh derby.

“We do have a good mix and because we're playing well and things are going good for us at the moment, I don't see that being a problem going into this game. Certainly as one of the more experienced players, to put it lightly, it's fine to be in that dressing room and be able to be calm and lead by example. We're going out there to try and put our best performance and what we bring to the game in place to make sure we win.”