And so the first Edinburgh derby of the season is upon us and it comes in circumstances nobody would have expected.
The capital clash features the Premiership’s bottom two clubs after dismal starts to the season for both Hearts and Hibs, who have just league one win apiece on the board.
The Jambos occupied bottom spot for longer than their rivals but managed to trade places with them last weekend as new manager Neil Critchley got off to the perfect start against St Mirren while the Hibees were shooting themeslves in the foot against Dundee United.
What David Gray in the home dugout would give for a similar result to the one his opposite number last weekend, and for it to come in a derby would be gamechanging.
Hearts carried that good start on when they beat Omonia Nicosia at Tynecastle on Thursday so the confidence will be high – but how will they cope with another high octane fixture so soon after?
Critchley made four changes for that one and was expected to freshen up again, while Gray is without his suspended captain Joe Newell.
As a result, the confirmed teams are the following.
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Hearts starting XI:
Confirmed Hibs team to face Hearts
Hibs starting XI: Bursik, Miller, Ekpiteta, O’Hora, Youan, Boyle, Kwon, Obita, Hoilett, Triantis, Gayle
Subs: Smith, Levitt, Doyle-Hayes, Iredale, McKirdy, Moriah-Welsh, Rocky, Molotnikov, Kuharevich
Confirmed Hearts team to face Hibs
Hearts starting XI: Gordon, Oyegoke, Kent, Rowles, Penrice, Boateng, Devlin, Vargas, Spittal, Dhanda, Shankland
Subs: Clark, Kingsley, Halkett, Grant, McKay, Forrest, Wilson, Boyce, Forrester