Manager Alan Archibald wants his Partick Thistle players to embrace the excitement Easter Road will generate when Hibernian play their first game since returning to the Ladbrokes Premiership.

The Leith side were absent from the top flight for three years before Neil Lennon brought them back up as winners of the Championship.

Archibald's men are visitors on the opening day of the league season on Saturday and he wants his players to enjoy and be inspired by the occasion.

"There is no better place to go than Easter Road when it is full," said the former Jags defender, who hopes to have at least one new face in his squad before the trip along the M8.

"It is one of the best grounds in the country and they have quality players and have added to that with Anthony Stokes.

"I took in the Edinburgh derby last season because we had Hearts the following Sunday.

"You forget how good an atmosphere it is there.

"I will be saying to the players we have to make sure we embrace that atmosphere as it gets the best out of our lads."

Archibald knows the return of another of Scottish football's big clubs - Hearts and Rangers have also been out of the Premiership recently - makes it harder again to achieve the top-six finish they enjoyed last season.

"It is tough every year, especially with the way Scottish football has worked," he said

"Rangers came back last year into the league, this year Hibs have come back in, which is another big club so it makes it that bit tougher for the rest of us.

"It is a challenge. But I said to the players, we have been in the Premiership for four years so we have to go and show our quality as well.

"First and foremost we have got to stay in the league.

"All our hard work has been done based on staying in the league and building on that.

"You look forward to it every year, you have a bit of nerves but the players can't wait to get going."