Aberdeen may be seen as a team not to be touched following their recent form, which culminated in a 6-0 loss against Hibs at the weekend. Following that defeat, manager Jim Goodwin was out of a job within 20 minutes. It followed losses against Rangers in the League Cup semi-final, Hearts in the league and, most infamously, Darvel in the Scottish Cup.

Goodwin was insistent that he still had the backing of the players before the weekend, yet once the side took to the field, it was evident that he did not. With the manager gone, an uptick in form is expected from the Dons, whose home form has remained pretty solid amid the tumult of a remarkable season. They have seven wins from 11 home fixtures, including a 4-1 win against St Mirren back in April.

St Mirren, meanwhile, are a frankly woeful side on the road. They have lost seven of 10 in the league on their travels, scoring only seven goals in the process. Indeed, they have netted only one goal in their last five matches – and even that arrived from a direct free kick. Since Christmas, they have managed draws against Livingston and Kilmarnock, but neither of these sides is as strong on paper as Aberdeen.

Another issue for St Mirren ahead of this match is the fitness of goalkeeper, Trevor Carson, who picked up a hand injury at the weekend but may be fit to play in this fixture. He makes a tremendous difference to the side.

Aberdeen have not lost in their last 18 home matches against St Mirren over 90 minutes, which is a run they should strengthen with a win.

Entertainment should be on the agenda when Hearts host Rangers on Wednesday, with the Tynecastle club regularly producing exciting matches at home this season.

At the weekend, Robbie Neilson’s side were held scoreless against a pragmatic Livingston team in a match that was always likely to be a close-fought encounter, but prior to that they have been on fire in front of goal. They scored three against Hibs and netted five in their last home match against Aberdeen.

They will certainly feel that they have a chance of getting something from this match. Their only two home defeats in the league this season came via a 4-0 loss against Rangers when they previously met and a 4-3 reverse in a thrilling match with Celtic. Don’t expect the hosts to play for a point.

Rangers, meanwhile, have been in steady form under manager Michael Beale. They have scored at least two goals in six of their seven league fixtures since the World Cup break and have certainly not been infallible defensively, conceding two each against Hibs, Celtic and Kilmarnock. This is something that Hearts will seek to take advantage of.

Although the Gers only won 1-0 when the sides met at Ibrox back in November, that was unusual in the recent meetings between the clubs. The previous three league fixtures had all produced at least four goals. More of the same should be expected in this encounter but an upset draw or even victory should not be ruled out for the hosts, making the goals market the way to go.