Celtic have the chance to go nine points clear of Rangers with a win at Kilmarnock this afternoon.
Brendan Rodgers takes his team to Rugby Park knowing that a Celtic win will create a chasm between themselves and the Ibrox club.
However, it appears that there could be a challenge for the title from Edinburgh on the cards after Hearts beat Rangers 2-0 at Ibrox to take them to the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
So when asked if Hearts can push Celtic for the title, manager Derek McInnes was quick to try and play it down while still talking up the Tynecastle club.
Derek McInnes says ‘outwith Rangers fans’, people want Hearts to challenge Celtic
Hearts have had an impressive start to the season with four wins and a draw in their first five games.
But can McInnes’ team continue this and keep up with Celtic for the entirety of the season?
McInnes told BBC Sport Scotland, “I get that because everybody’s wanting something like this, outwith Rangers supporters obviously, everybody’s wanting a club to come up and do that type of thing.
“But we’re only five games in. Listen, I know how quickly it can change, and it’s my job to keep a lid on it and keep searching for better performances.
“I’ve got a good squad. We’ve got a few injuries, we had a couple of things that were not straightforward today with players going down.
“But it actually feels like I’ve got a bench that can cope with that, and I’ve got the answers to turn to.
“Jamie McCart has only had a couple of weeks’ training from a long-term injury, comes on, and if I didn’t have Jamie there, we might not be have been able to do that with Frankie Kent’s injury.
“So I’m encouraged that we’ve got a strong squad. I’m encouraged I see my players play and have the confidence because a lot of them have been on the wrong end of performance here.
“And the record was nowhere near good enough for a club like Hearts, but it’s good to see that we have managed to now put that to bed and just focus on the next one.”
When Celtic face Hearts as title race hots up
Celtic have already faced Rangers and earned a draw at Ibrox just before the international break.
And as Hearts sit atop the Scottish Premiership, when does the Edinburgh club face Celtic for the first time this season?
- Sunday 26th October: Heart Of Midlothian vs Celtic
In what promises to be an epic fixture, Celtic head to Tynecastle at the end of next month where fans of both clubs will see if McInnes’ team really has what it takes to take on Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
