Hearts come out on top after week of self-imposed stress

Stress levels for Hearts coaching staff would have burst blood pressure monitors in recent days, watching the team navigate two separate games with only ten players.

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Cammy Devlin is suspended against Falkirk, but may have fallen foul of injury against the Saints, anyway.

Red cards for goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow at Dundee and midfielder Beni Baningime against St Mirren left their teammates fighting against the odds. Management rejigged formations and tactics, while players ran themselves to exhaustion to overcome adversity and win both matches without even losing a goal. Consequently, Hearts now sit proudly six points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership with 16 fixtures left.

League business is paused for the Scottish Cup this weekend, with Hearts hosting Premiership counterparts Falkirk at Tynecastle Park. Schwolow is available again after serving his one-game suspension against St Mirren. Baningime can also play. The Congolese is banned for two matches after being dismissed for serious foul play on Wednesday night, but the suspension is competition-specific. That means he only misses games in the Premiership, so he will be banned against Celtic on January 25 and Dundee United on January 31.