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

The visitors have had a mixed start to the new season, and head into this match on the back of being knocked out of the Europa Conference League.

Match preview

Hearts kickstarted the season perfectly with a 2-0 win against St Johnstone, but since that point, it has been a mixed bag of results with only two other victories, a draw, and four defeats in all competitions.

The Jambos have suffered a trio of losses heading into this weekend, with PAOK knocking them out of the Europa Conference League 6-1 on aggregate, with the latest match seeing them lose 4-0.

It is a concerning run of form considering their latest SPL fixture resulted in a 1-0 loss against Dundee, with Hearts having only scored a single goal across their last three matches.

Despite that Frankie McAvoy's men sit in fifth place and have only conceded a single goal across the first three SPL fixtures which should inject plenty of confidence into the group.

A victory for Hearts would result in them overtaking their opponents in the table, creating a clear incentive for the Jambos.

However, the visitors are currently undefeated in the league, and that is a run that they will be hoping to continue as a win for them could see Motherwell finish the weekend top of the table.

The Steelmen may have been knocked out of the Scottish League Cup by St Mirren, but they reacted to that loss perfectly last weekend when facing Kilmarnock.

Even though they fell behind in the 12th minute of the match as Marley Watkins found the back of the net, Motherwell worked hard to fight back and they showcased plenty of spirit to take all three points.

Stuart Kettlewell's men left it late as Harry Paton's match-winner was not scored until the 98th minute, showcasing that the Steelmen are not prepared to give up on any game at the moment which is a spirit that will serve the team well.

Hearts Scottish Premiership form:

Hearts form (all competitions):

D

W

W

L

L

L

Motherwell Scottish Premiership form:

Motherwell form (all competitions):

W

W

D

W

L

W

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Team News

Hearts made a tweak to deploying a back five during the midweek European fixture, and that is something that could be considered again moving into this weekend.

However, the hosts do have a lengthy injury list with Craig Gordon out with a broken leg, both Craig Halkett and Barrie McKay dealing with knee issues and Peter Haring suffering an ankle issue.

Beni Baningime has also been on the sidelines as of late, but he is someone who is expected to be returning soon, therefore he could find himself on the bench.

The visitors handed a debut to Huddersfield Town loanee Brodie Spencer last weekend, and he is likely going to keep his place in the team, while Joe Efford was also brought into the starting lineup against Kilmarnock as well.

Hearts possible starting lineup:

Clark; Atkinson, Kent, Rowles, Spencer; Devlin, Cochrane; Oda, Boyce, Vargas; Shankland

Motherwell possible starting lineup:

Kelly; McGinn, Mugabi, Casey; O'Donnell, Slattery, Miller, Spittal, Souare; Efford, Bair

We say: Hearts 1-2 Motherwell

Hearts have had a mixed season so far, but the fact they head into this game on the back of a trio of losses is something that could be crucial when it comes to momentum.

Motherwell have proven themselves resilient and difficult to defeat this season, and that is why they are likely to edge this one in what promises to be a close fixture.

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