Of the last 12 matches between these clubs, the Jambos have suffered just one defeat while they will also feel that they threw away a winning position when the clubs clashed at Tynecastle earlier this season. Hearts had a commanding 2-0 lead before Hibs came roaring back in the middle of the second half to secure a point in a 2-2 draw.

Both teams, meanwhile, are in good form. Hearts come into this game off the back of 2-0 wins over Celtic and St Mirren – two clubs in the top four of the Premiership – while Hibs have picked up four victories in their last eight.

Hibs are undefeated at home since Nick Montgomery took charge in September, yet with the exception of a scoreless draw achieved against Celtic, this is clearly the biggest test the new boss has faced at Easter Road.

Hearts’ attack rotates around Lawrence Shankland, who became the first player in the Premiership this season to reach double figures at the weekend as he bagged a double against St Mirren. The Scotland man will predictably be the main threat in the derby too.

Even as Liam Boyce is back for the Jambos after a hamstring niggle, Hearts will focus their attacking efforts around the former Dundee United star, who leads the Premiership in terms of shots per 90.

His record against Hibs is surprisingly a bit modest. He has won only three of 20 matches against the Easter Road club but has managed to score against them eight times. Even if he fails to add to that tally, expect him to at least threaten to.

Hibs’ derby hero at Tynecastle was winger Elie Youan, who dragged them back into the match with two goals in a matter of minutes shortly after the hour mark, and while the winger has scored only once since then, he is likely to be Hibs’ greatest threat.

Youan has played every minute of the Leith side’s last three matches and posts more shots per game than any other player in the squad this season. This is the type of occasion that he thrives upon and he will seek to impress by getting shots away from his position on the left.

Australia international Nathaniel Atkinson is likely to be the player in direct competition with Youan, who is a player who loves to play in a direct manner, enticing his opponent into a moment of rashness.

Atkinson, meanwhile, is a dogged wing back and has acquired a habit of picking up bookings. This season he has been carded three times in just 621 minutes of Premiership football.

He is still making his way to peak fitness after more than two months out with an ankle injury, and this encounter against a tricky opponent promises to be a very sizeable test for him. One wrong step and he could find his way into the book of referee John Beaton very easily.

There is little doubt that the Hibs v Hearts rivalry has been the most aggressive in recent seasons in Scotland. Although there were only three cards shown when the sides met earlier this term, prior to that cautions have been thrown around like confetti.

As many as eight players saw yellow and another three red in the final game of last term, while there were 10 players booked in the clash before that. Seven cards were flashed in the derby prior to that and there were five bookings in the New Year derby back on January 2.

Referee John Beaton, meanwhile, is averaging close to 4.5 cards per match across the domestic games he has officiated this season. This is a game with the potential for disciplinary fireworks.