Derek McInnes' message to Hearts fans ahead of defining title race clashes as he juggles Cammy Devlin dilemma

Hearts manager Derek McInnes has urged Tynecastle to come alive like it did against Rangers when Falkirk come to Gorgie - as he weighs up a Cammy Devlin predicament ahead of two critical clashes.

The Jambos could win the Premiership for the first time since 1960 on Wednesday night if they beat the Bairns and Motherwell defeat second-placed Celtic at Fir Park. Hearts have a one-point lead following their 1-1 draw with the Steelmen on Saturday night but have been rocked by season-ending injuries to centre-back Craig Halkett and midfielder Marc Leonard.

Tynecastle has proven a fortress on this bid for glory and avoiding defeat midweek will see them end the term without losing a league match at home. A spine-tingling atmosphere played out last week in a massive win over Rangers and McInnes wants more of the same from the sold out home support on a night where legends can be made.

What can Hearts fans do to help team vs Falkirk?

“If it's anything as good as it was against the Rangers, then I can't wait for it”, McInnes told the Evening News. “The home games are always going to be important in the post-split fixtures. They're not a given, but given our home record this season, we know the importance of them. We also know the importance of picking up points on the road. So seven from nine post-split, good shooting.

“You only get the advantage of the away points you pick up if you win your home games. Wednesday is going to be a difficult game, but with the crowd behind us, doing all they can to help the lads. The reception the lads got at the end at Motherwell was first class. We thank the support for that and hopefully we can make it a special night on Wednesday.”

Midfielder Devlin’s return amid injury to Leonard is timely but he was only fit enough for a late second half cameo. The battler has been vital for Hearts this term and they are left with just Beni Baningime and Blair Spittal as fit midfielders, with Leonard, Oisin McEntee, Ageu, Tomas Magnusson, Finlay Pollock and Calem Nieuwenhof all out. Devlin is a contender to go to the World Cup with Australia next month and weighing up risk over reward is something McInnes has in mind.

Will Cammy Devlin play for Hearts vs Falkirk?

”We were under strict instructions,” explained McInnes. “We couldn't get him on for more than 10-15 minutes. He only trained Friday fully with the team. Hopefully, with a couple of more training days under him, he'll be a bit more ready for Wednesday. We'll see how everybody is but unfortunately Craig and Marc won't be involved. Obviously we don't want to put Cammy at risk.

“I think the world of him and he knows it's the last thing I would want. He's such a good competitor. At this stage of the season, he's exactly what we need, and would like. We've got to weigh up everything. If he's comfortable and he's happy to play, then that's it, as he was Saturday. He trained Friday and he wants to put himself forward. We knew how much he could play. Hopefully there's a bit more he can play again on Wednesday.”

Right-back Jordi Altena slotted into midfield from his natural position at Motherwell with Devlin unable to complete the full second period in North Lanarkshire. The Dutchman impressed McInnes in his role as Alexandros Kyziridis took his place out wide, providing food for thought, amid a lack of options in the engine room.

“Very good,” McInnes said of Altena’s display in midfield. “I thought he was good the whole game, to be honest. Obviously with Kyziridis playing out in the second half, it was always our intention to bring him on after about an hour. We thought the game would open up and we thought that rather than playing in those tight spaces, we needed to have four in midfield against their four effectively. They play with two 10s and two 6s and if you lose a battle in there against Motherwell , it can be a really difficult night. And you see the reason why they are where they are in the league (fourth position) and why they've had so many plaudits. But you also see why we are top of the league as well. The desire in the team to go and compete and scrap despite the difficulties.”