Hearts v Kilmarnock: Team news; form guide; odds, referee, kick-off time

Hearts return to competitive action in the Premiership at home to Kilmarnock on Saturday. Here is all you need to know:

Match details

Who: Hearts v Kilmarnock. What: cinch Scottish Premiership. Where: Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh. When: Saturday, December 17. Kick-off 3pm. Referee: William Collum. Assistants: David Doig and Steven Traynor. Fourth official: Duncan Williams. VAR: Don Robertson. AVAR: Frank Connor.

TV and ticket info

Alex Cochrane and Kyle Lafferty will do battle at Tynecastle

The SPFL no longer permits live streaming inside the UK & Ireland. But international subscribers can watch live on Hearts TV. A limited number of tickets are available, priced at £30 for adults, on the club website and at the ticket office.

Team news

Defender Kye Rowles is suspended after receiving a red card in his last match against Livingston. He and fellow Australian internationalists Nathaniel Atkinson and Cammy Devlin are due to report back to Riccarton on Thursday. Striker Stephen Humphrys is also still feeling the effects of an ankle injury. Midfielder Peter Haring has been unable to train freely due to ongoing concussion issues. Winger Gary Mackay-Steven is recovering from a broken foot, and Beni Baningime and Liam Boyce long-term absentees. But Stephen Kingsley and Craig Halkett are both and ready to start.

Kilmarnock midfielder Scott Robinson could face his former club Hearts at Tynecastle after recovering from a heel injury that has kept him out for most of 2022.

Form guide

Hearts were in decent form before the break, coming from behind to beat Motherwell with ten men, losing 1-0 at Ibrox and coming from behing with en men again to draw at home to Livingston.

With just one point picked up from a possible 24, Kilmarnock are the worst team in the top flight on the road. Kilmarnock have won just one of their last 16 away games in the Scottish Premiership, stretching back to last season. Goals have been hard to come by for the Ayrshire team this season. They have played a couple of friendlies in the past week, including a 1-1 draw with St Johnstone, Christian Doidge grabbing the goal.

Head-to-head

Killie's record against Hearts in recent years is unbelievably good, and their only away victory all season was at Tynecastle Park in the League Cup in September. Indeed, Hearts are winless in their last five Scottish Premiership games against Kilmarnock (D1 L4) since a 2-1 victory in February 2019 under Craig Levein. Kilmarnock have won each of their last four Scottish Premiership away games at Hearts, all by a one-goal margin.

Bookies’ odds

Hearts win 3/4, Draw 1¼, Kilmarnock win 7/2, with McBookie.