It is an indication of the importance of Sunday’s game that Hearts and Celtic have both been scrambling to acquire new signings to bolster their starting line-ups at Tynecastle.
Not surprising considering the consensus is that January recruitment could be the telling factor in what is now a three-horse race for the title.
Doubly so for Hearts considering they have lost possibly their two most key players in captain Lawrence Shankland and midfield dynamo Cammy Devlin to lengthy spells on the sidelines.
Hearts paid a fee to hasten the arrival of Rogers Mato, who was due to arrive in the summer, from North Macedonian leaders Vardar, but it is touch and go whether the paperwork will be complete in time for the Uganda forward to face Celtic.
However, former Brighton midfielder Marc Leonard could make his debut on Sunday after signing on loan from Birmingham City. Forest Green Rovers rejected an approach for their captain, Laurent Mendy, earlier in the week.
Celtic, meanwhile, have plugged their striker gap by Thursday’s arrival of Czech Republic international Tomas Cvancara on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach, a move made more timely by Johnny Kenny picking up an injury in their 2-2 draw in Bologna.
Having to play almost an hour with 10 men in Bologna on Thursday after the dismissal of Reo Hatate will test Celtic’s power of recovery, as will the concession of a 2-0 half-time lead.
Hearts, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s surprise penalty shoot-out exit in the Scottish Cup at home to Falkirk.
That ended a run of 12 home games without defeat this season, but Derek McInnes’ side remain in pole position in the league, six points ahead of both Celtic and Rangers.
Win on Sunday and they will become the first Hearts side to have beaten Celtic three times in a single league campaign – a statement feat that will answer critics who doubt their sustainability given their injury problems.
They would also become the first side other than Rangers to beat Celtic in three successive league meetings since Aberdeen in 1990.
However, Celtic arrive revived, having won all seven of their league games during Martin O’Neill’s two spells as interim manager following the exits of Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy.
Amazingly, though, Celtic have lost each of their last five away league games against opponents starting the day top of the table – and two of those were against Hearts, in August 2018 and last October.
Meanwhile, an equally revived Rangers under Danny Rohl are waiting in the wings and the side sitting third behind Celtic on goal difference will be favourites to make it eight wins in a row and avoid a repeat of the 1-1 draw against Dundee at Ibrox under previous head coach Russell Martin.
