Preview: Hearts vs. Celtic - prediction, team news, lineups

The defending champions currently sit seven points clear at the top of the table after eight outings, while their hosts find themselves fourth with 11 points on the board.

Match preview

Hearts return to action from the second international break of the season on Sunday on the back of a relatively underwhelming start to the new Scottish Premiership campaign, in their bid to improve on last season's fourth-placed finish.

They have certainly struggled for consistency in the early stages, with 11 points on the board from their opening eight matches having managed three victories alongside three defeats, with their high points certainly down to a tight defensive record having only conceded five goals thus far.

Steven Naismith's side have struggled at the other end, netting just seven goals in the eight games, with two of those coming in their final game before the break as they met Edinburgh rivals Hibernian on the back of a much-needed 1-0 triumph away at Ross County courtesy of Alan Forrest's second-half goal.

Forrest would then put them ahead in the derby at Tynecastle Park and a Christian Doidge own goal made it 2-0 to the hosts, but they eventually had to settle for a point after being pegged back by their rivals, as Elie Youan forced a share of the spoils with a quickfire brace after the hour mark.

Left disappointed having not been able to come out on top in that derby, Hearts will now hope to return to action rejuvenated at the weekend and upset the league leaders in Edinburgh with the aim of narrowing the four-point gap to third-placed St Mirren and second-placed Rangers.

That will be no easy task, though, as Celtic make the trip aiming to extend their unbeaten start to their latest Scottish Premiership title defence.

After winning the top flight for the second straight season last time around and seeing Ange Postecoglou depart, the Glasgow giants headed into the new term under the management of the returning Brendan Rodgers, and they have certainly been in formidable form in the early stages.

From their opening eight league games, the Bhoys have picked up seven victories alongside a singular draw which came at home to St Johnstone in late August, and they have put five straight three-point hauls together since then, starting with a 1-0 Old Firm triumph over rivals Rangers.

Then following victories over Dundee, Livingston and Motherwell, and an agonising 2-1 Champions League defeat to Lazio in which the visitors prevailed with a 95th-minute winner after Kyogo Furuhashi initially had the Bhoys ahead, Rodgers's men most recently hosted Kilmarnock before the international break and added another notch to their wins column as Reo Hatate, Luis Palma and Greg Taylor found the net in a 3-1 triumph.

Now sitting in a strong position at the top of the Premiership having already built up a seven-point lead over Rangers in just eight games, Celtic will look to pick up where they left off on their return on Sunday, before travelling to Atletico Madrid in midweek for their third continental group game in search of a first point.

Hearts Scottish Premiership form:

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Hearts form (all competitions):

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Celtic Scottish Premiership form:

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Celtic form (all competitions):

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Team News

Even after the international break, Hearts have an unenviable injury list to contend with, as first-choice goalkeeper Craig Gordon continues a long stay in the treatment room alongside defenders Craig Halkett, Stephen Kingsley and Nathaniel Atkinson and winger Barrie McKay.

Naismith's headaches may have eased slightly with two returns, though, as Alex Cochrane should be fit to take Kingsley's place at the back, while Yutaro Oda will fight to come back into the attack.

Ahead of the midfield pairing of Cameron Devlin and Calem Nieuwenhof, there is competition in attack, and Lawrence Shankland is bound to lead the line while Alan Forrest will keep his place on the right flank after scoring in consecutive league games, leaving Oda, Liam Boyce, Kenneth Vargas and Alex Lowry to fight for two spots.

Celtic are also dealing with several injury issues of their own, as Stephen Welsh remains sidelined alongside Liel Abada and James McCarthy, although they have welcomed defender Maik Nawrocki back to contention after his own layoff.

He joins a competitive battle for starting spots at the back, even in Welsh's absence, after Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales were preferred against Kilmarnock, leaving Liverpool loanee Nathaniel Phillips to settle for a substitute appearance.

Rodgers is bound to field an unchanged midfield trio of Matt O'Riley, Reo Hatate and captain Callum McGregor, while key forward Kyogo Furuhashi will continue to lead the line having netted four league goals so far this term, with Daizen Maeda and summer signing Luis Palma again hoping to join him amid competition from Hyeon-gyu Oh, James Forrest and Hyun-jun Yang.

Hearts possible starting lineup:

Clark; Sibbick, Kent, Rowles, Cochrane; Nieuwenhof, Devlin; Forrest, Lowry, Vargas; Shankland

Celtic possible starting lineup:

Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; O'Riley, McGregor, Hatate; Maeda, Furuhashi, Palma

We say: Hearts 0-2 Celtic

Hearts have been resilient defensively so far this term, but they are far from their best going forward, while the league leaders should have enough to break them down at Tynecastle Park.

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