Things are looking slightly better for both Hearts and Hibs since the last time they met.
The Edinburgh sides have monumentally struggled this season and were the Premiership’s bottom two when they played out a draw at Easter Road earlier in the season.
Neither are still anywhere near where they should be or would want to be but have picked up a little.
More so the Hibees, who have now just lost once in their last five games. A battling draw against Aberdeen triggered it and they’ve since beaten Motherwell, Ross County and Aberdeen again, with a brilliant performance at Pittodrie on Saturday.
Martin Boyle was the star of the show and admitted his spell out the side was the ‘kick up the backside’ he needed.
That has them sitting eighth, two points ahead of the Jambos, whose victory over St Johnstone at the weekend moved them off the bottom.
Neither club is out of the woods yet and a victory in the derby could really catapult either while defeat can plunge one of them back into crisis mode very quickly.
Both Hearts and Hibs have injury concerns and Not the Old Firm has had a go at predicting both XIs.
Predicted Hearts XI vs Hibs
GK – Craig Gordon
RB – Adam Forrester
CB – Craig Halkett
CB – Kye Rowles
LB – James Penrice
CM – Malachi Boateng
CM – Cammy Devlin
RM – Musa Drammeh
LM – Blair Spittal
ST – Lawrence Shankland
ST – James Wilson
Predicted Hibs XI to face Hearts
GK – Jordan Smith
CB – Lewis Miller
CB – Rocky Bushiri
CB – Jack Iredale
RWB – Chris Cadden
LWB – Nicky Cadden
CM – Joe Newell
CM – Nectar Triantis
CM – Josh Campbell
ST – Martin Boyle
ST – Elie Youan