HEARTS V ABERDEEN

Tynecastle

Friday, 7.45pm

BT Sport 2

Hearts

Hearts right-back Callum Paterson begins a lengthy absence against Aberdeen after being ruled out for up to 10 months with a knee injury.

Prince Buaben is a doubt after going off with a knock against Kilmarnock while already nursing a calf injury. Don Cowie has recovered from a neck injury but might not get over an illness in time for Friday's Ladbrokes Premiership game.

Another midfielder, Sam Nicholson, is not ready to return from knee surgery.

Provisional squad: Hamilton, Smith, Rherras, Rossi, Souttar, Ozturk, Nowak, Kitchen, Buaben, Djoum, Walker, Watt, Sammon, Muirhead, Johnsen, Oshaniwa, Cowie, Zanatta, Noring.

Aberdeen

Aberdeen are expected to have a fully fit squad for their Ladbrokes Premiership trip to Hearts.

Derek McInnes is looking forward to his team's last match before the winter break.

The Pittodrie outfit - who sit third in table - can stretch their lead over Ian Cathro's men to six points with victory at Tynecastle.

Provisional squad: Lewis, Logan, Considine, Reynolds, O'Connor, Taylor, Shinnie, Jack, McLean, Storie, McGinn, Maddison, Rooney, Stockley, Burns, Storey, Hayes, Pawlett, Morris, Alexander.

RANGERS V CELTIC

Ibrox

Saturday, 12.15pm

Sky Sports 1

Rangers

Rangers are facing a defensive crisis ahead of Saturday's Old Firm showdown as boss Mark Warburton sweats on the fitness of skipper Lee Wallace and centre-back Clint Hill.

Warburton admits both Wallace (thigh) and Hill (dead leg) have just 50/50 chances of facing the Hoops in the first derby clash to be played at Ibrox since 2014.

But Jordan Rossiter (calf) and Niko Kranjcar (knee) definitely sit out the clash with Brendan Rodgers' runaway Ladbrokes Premiership leaders.

Provisional squad: Foderingham, Tavernier, Wallace, Kiernan, Hill, Wilson, Windass, Senderos, Crooks, Halliday, Holt, Miller, McKay, Garner, Waghorn, Forrester, Dodoo, Hodson, Bates, O'Halloran, Gilks.

Celtic

Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic has been ruled out of the Hogmanay Old Firm game against Rangers at Ibrox with an ankle injury.

Boss Brendan Rodgers had hoped the Australia international would have recovered after missing the last three matches but revealed he would not be back until after the winter break.

Callum McGregor returns from a one-game ban while long-term injured left-back Kieran Tierney remains out.

Provisional squad: Gordon, Lustig, Gamboa, Izaguirre, Toure, Sviatchenko, Simunovic, O'Connell, Sinclair, Brown, Bitton, Armstrong, Forrest, Roberts, Dembele, Griffiths, Christie, McGregor, Mackay-Steven, De Vries.

HAMILTON V MOTHERWELL

New Douglas Park

Saturday, 1pm

Hamilton

Hamilton will be without suspended pair Scott McMann and Dougie Imrie for Saturday's Lanarkshire derby clash with Motherwell.

But striker Rakish Bingham should feature in the Ladbrokes Premiership fixture at the SuperSeal Stadium after overcoming a shoulder injury sustained in Tuesday's defeat to Aberdeen.

Greg Docherty (foot), Remi Matthews (shoulder) and Jesus Garcia Tena (knee) remain out while Craig Watson is close to fitness following a long-term knee injury.

Provisional squad: Woods, Gillespie, Sowah, Devlin, Seaborne, Sarris, Donati, MacKinnon, Longridge, Crawford, D'Acol, Brophy, Hughes, Tierney, Redmond, Kurtaj, Bingham, Breslin, Cunningham, Thomson.

Motherwell

Motherwell captain Keith Lasley remains a doubt for the Lanarkshire derby after missing the midweek win over Inverness with a shoulder injury.

But Carl McHugh will feature against Hamilton after making his comeback from a serious concussion in the Highlands.

Joe Chalmers (groin), Kieran Kennedy (hip), Jacob Blyth (thigh) and Ross MacLean (broken toe) are targeting comebacks after the Ladbrokes Premiership winter break.

Provisional squad: Samson, Tait, McManus, Hammell, Ferguson, McHugh, Heneghan, McMillan, Cadden, Lasley, Clay, Ainsworth, McDonald, Moult, Bowman, Thomas, Campbell, Lucas, Hastie, Maguire, Brill, Mackin.

DUNDEE V ST JOHNSTONE

Dens Park

Saturday, 2pm

Dundee

Dundee manager Paul Hartley has no fresh injury problems for the visit of St Johnstone on Saturday.

Midfielder Nicky Low remains ruled out with a groin strain ahead of the Taysiders' final Ladbrokes Premiership fixture of 2016.

Defender James McPake is still not ready to feature for the first team as he works his way back from a serious knee injury.

Provisional squad: Bain, Kerr, Holt, Gomis, O'Dea, Etxabeguren, Gadzhalov, Hateley, Vincent, McGowan, Williams, El Bakhtaoui, Loy, Duffy, Ross, Haber, Wighton, O'Hara, Smyth, Teijsse, Mitchell.

St Johnstone

St Johnstone midfielder Murray Davidson returns from suspension for the Ladbrokes Premiership clash with Dundee.

Left-back Brian Easton is fine after cramping up during the midweek draw with Rangers.

Michael Coulson (calf) and Ally Gilchrist (groin) remain out.

Provisional squad: Clark, Foster, Scobbie, Anderson, Shaughnessy, Easton, Alston, Wotherspoon, Swanson, Davidson, Craig, Millar, Kane, MacLean, Cummins, Paton, Gordon, Watson, Hunter, Comrie, Mannus.

PARTICK THISTLE V KILMARNOCK

Firhill

Saturday, 2pm

Partick Thistle

Partick Thistle defender Liam Lindsay is a doubt for the Ladbrokes Premiership visit of Kilmarnock.

Lindsay went off with a bloody nose during Wednesday's win over Dundee and was already nursing another knock.

Long-term absentees Mustapha Dumbuya (Achilles), Ryan Scully (shoulder), Stuart Bannigan and Gary Fraser (both knee) remain unavailable.

Provisional squad: Cerny, Elliott, Booth, Lindsay, Devine, Barton, Osman, Welsh, Erskine, Amoo, Doolan, Azeez, Lawless, Wilson, Gordon, Edwards, McDaid, Syme, Penrice, Stuckmann.

Kilmarnock

Luke Hendrie returns from suspension for Kilmarnock's Ladbrokes Premiership trip to Partick Thistle on Saturday.

The Killie defender was sent off last week against St Johnstone and served his one-game ban when Lee Clark' side lost 4-0 at Hearts on Tuesday night

Centre-backs Scott Boyd (hamstring), Miles Addison (foot) and Jonathan Burn (thigh) remain sidelined by injury and forwards Dapo Kayode and Greg Kiltie (both hamstring) are also still missing.

Provisional squad: MacDonald, S Smith, Taylor, Wilson, Hendrie, Boyle, Adams, McFadzean, Dicker, M Smith, Jones, Bojaj, Coulibaly, Frizzell, Hawkshaw, McKenzie, Cobain, Morrison, Webb, Tyson, Mackay, K Boyd.

ROSS COUNTY V INVERNESS CT

Victoria Park

Saturday, 3pm

Ross County

Ross County defender Kenny van der Weg returns from suspension for the Highland derby.

But winger Chris Burke is not expected to feature in the Ladbrokes Premiership contest with Inverness as he continues recovering his fitness following illness.

Michael Gardyne (hamstring) remains on the sidelines.

Provisional squad: Fox, Fraser, Van der Weg, Cikos, McEveley, Quinn, Davies, Routis, McShane, Woods, Curran, Boyce, Dow, Chow, T Dingwall, Franks, Morrison, Schalk, McLaughlin, McCarey.

Inverness CT

Inverness have an unchanged squad for the Highland derby against Ross County in Dingwall.

Lewis Horner has been told he does not need surgery on a knee injury but will still be out for seven to eight weeks.

David Raven (knee) and Kevin McNaughton (Achilles) are also still unavailable for the Ladbrokes Premiership clash.

Provisional squad: Fon Williams, Tremarco, McKay, Warren, Meekings, Draper, Tansey, Mulraney, Vigurs, Cole, Doumbouya, Doran, King, Sutherland, MacRae, MacLennan, Robertson, Gilchrist, Polworth, Boden, Fisher, Esson, Hoban.