Scottish Premiership previews, team news, stats, kick-off times, live on Sky | Football News

Team news, stats and how to follow the action as the Scottish Premiership continues this weekend.

Dundee vs Hearts – Saturday, 3pm kick-off

Team news

Dundee manager James McPake fears he could be without around 10 players for the clash with Hearts.

Jason Cummings has been counted out over a disciplinary breach, while Charlie Adam, Lee Ashcroft, Shaun Byrne and Cillian Sheridan are out injured and Ryan Sweeney is suspended.

Max Anderson, Danny Mullen and Jordan Marshall are also among those who McPake has had fitness doubts over this week.

Hearts will be without the suspended Josh Ginnelly following his sending off against Rangers on Sunday.

Michael Smith returns from the injury that forced him off early in the recent win at Livingston and then kept him out last weekend. Beni Baningime is still sidelined, while Jamie Brandon is still working to build up his fitness after a lengthy lay-off.

Opta stats

• Dundee have only won one of their last six Scottish Premiership games against Hearts (D2 L3), a 2-1 away win in January 2019.
• Hearts have won both of their last two Scottish Premiership away matches against Dundee, with this their first since March 2019 (won 1-0). They last won three in a row away to Dundee in the top-flight in August 2004.
• Dundee have won both of their last two home league matches; they last won three in a row on home turf in the top-flight in April 2002 under Ivano Bonetti.
• Hearts have alternated between defeat (four times) and victory (three) in each of their last seven league matches, losing 0-2 to Rangers last time out. Hearts haven’t lost back-to-back Scottish Premiership matches since February 2020.
• Daniel Mullen has scored in each of his last three home games in the Scottish Premiership; the last Dundee player to score in more consecutive home appearances in the competition was Kane Hemmings from December 2015 to February 2016, a run of five which was ended when he failed to score against Hearts in March 2016.

How to follow

Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later on Saturday evening.

Livingston vs Ross County – Saturday, 3pm kick-off

Team news

Cristian Montano faces two or three weeks out with a hamstring injury for Livingston. Tom Parkes remains out with a knee injury. Keaghan Jacobs is back running, while long-term absentees Adam Lewis and Daniel Barden remain sidelined.

Ross County defender Alex Iacovitti is still out with a hamstring injury and will miss the trip. Harry Paton came off in the midweek defeat to Celtic in Dingwall with a knock but will be fit. Elsewhere, Staggies boss Malky Mackay has a few players with bumps and bruises but nothing serious.

Opta stats

• Livingston have won all three of their home games against Ross County in the Scottish Premiership, doing so by an aggregate score of 8-1.
• Ross County have only won one of their seven Scottish Premiership meetings with Livingston (D1 L5), a 2-0 win in February 2020.
• Livingston have won both of their last two league matches, each by a 1-0 scoreline. The Lions have never previously won three Scottish top-flight matches in a row while also keeping a clean sheet each time.
• Only Dundee (four) have earned fewer away points in this season’s Scottish Premiership than Ross County (five), who have won just one of their eight league matches on the road this term (D2 L5).
• Regan Charles-Cook has been directly involved in 56% of Ross County’s nine away league goals this season, scoring four and assisting one. The last Staggies player to score 5+ away goals in a single Scottish Premiership season was Craig Curran in 2017-18 (five).

How to follow

Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later on Saturday evening.

Motherwell vs St Johnstone – Saturday, 3pm kick-off

Team news

Motherwell have no let-up in their defensive issues. Centre-backs Ricki Lamie, Sondre Solholm Johansen and Juhani Ojala are still absent so left-back Jake Carroll will again deputise in the middle of the back four. Mark O’Hara also remains on the sidelines.

St Johnstone striker Chris Kane will miss out again as he is self-isolating. Glenn Middleton is available after being ineligible to face parent club Rangers in midweek but Murray Davidson is set to remain sidelined. Cammy MacPherson is out until January, while David Wotherspoon is out for the season.

Opta stats

• None of Motherwell’s last 11 home league matches against St. Johnstone have finished as a draw, with the Steelmen winning five and losing six since a 1-1 stalemate in January 2015 under Ian Baraclough.
• St. Johnstone have only lost one of their last five league meetings with Motherwell (W2 D2), and are unbeaten in their last three (W1 D2).
• Five of Motherwell’s last six league wins have come at home, with the Steelmen winning both of their last two league matches at Fir Park while also keeping a clean sheet each time.
• Bottom of the table St. Johnstone have lost four consecutive league matches; they last lost five in a row in the Scottish Premiership in October 2014.
• St. Johnstone’s Scottish Premiership matches have seen fewer goals (27 – F9 A18) and fewer shots (390 – F149 A241) than any other side in the division this season.

How to follow

Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later on Saturday evening.

Rangers vs Dundee United – Saturday, 3pm kick-off

Team news

Rangers defender Borna Barisic should be available. The left-back was substituted after feeling unwell during the 2-0 win over St Johnstone in midweek but has recovered.

Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has some doubts and those players will be assessed on Saturday morning but Kemar Roofe and Ryan Jack have both suffered injury setbacks and are unlikely to be available before the winter break while Leon Balogun (knock), Filip Helander (knee) and Nnamdi Ofoborh (heart issue) are still sidelined.

Dundee United have been hit by Covid-19 issues ahead of the Ibrox game. Head coach Tam Courts would not give a specific number of absentees but more than one player will be missing as a result of positive tests.

Calum Butcher is suspended and Courts has been missing Dylan Levitt, Liam Smith, Marc McNulty, Max Biamou and Lewis Neilson through injury in recent weeks.

Opta stats

• Rangers have scored two or more goals in each of their last 15 home matches against Dundee United in the top-flight (W12 D2 L1), scoring 51 goals in total in this run (3.4 per game).
• Dundee United won their last league match against Rangers 1-0 in August; they haven’t won back-to-back top-flight meetings with the Gers since March 1997, over a year before now-Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst joined the club as a player in 1998.
• Rangers have won each of their last seven league matches, including all five under new manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, while also keeping a clean sheet in each of their last four.
• Dundee United are currently on a three-game losing run in the Scottish Premiership; they last lost four in a row in the competition in May 2016 under Mixu Paatelainen en route to relegation from the division.
• Rangers’ Alfredo Morelos has scored in each of his last three league games; only twice previously has he enjoyed a longer run of scoring appearances in the Scottish Premiership – seven matches from October-December 2018 and five matches from January-March 2021.

How to follow

Follow Rangers vs Dundee United with our dedicated live blog. Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later on Saturday evening.