Heart of Midlothian will get their 2024/25 season underway on Saturday afternoon when they host Rangers in the Scottish Premiership opener.

Come 11.15, or thereabouts, the Hearts line-up will be announced. Something that is set to intrigue fans and be the focus of a fair few debates that morning.

Steven Naismith has built an impressive squad that is being admired by fans of rivals. Having done so there is plenty choice and plenty to consider. 

Our writers Joel Sked and James Cairney have both had a go at predicting the first Hearts XI of the season. How close will they get?

Joel Sked

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Steven Naismith would probably prefer to play a 4-3-3 variant. But on this occasion, I think he may go with the back three. A couple of factors come into play. Firstly, the way it didn't work against Fleetwood Town last week. What did he change to at half-time? A back three. Secondly, I believe playing two through the middle may get the most joy out of a Rangers defence that has question marks hanging over it. They could give a debut to new centre-back Davy Propper. Tynecastle Park is not an easy place for a debut, especially if you have a livewire like Kenneth Vargas buzzing about you.

Vargas and Lawrence Shankland are the best front pairing. The Costa Rican's presence gives Shankland more freedom.

Defensively, if the club have not managed to get Malachi Boateng over the line they are without a true defensive midfielder. Therefore the added solidity of a back three may be more beneficial. Frankie Kent is one of the first names on the team sheet. I can see him being flanked by Daniel Oyegoke and Kye Rowles with Stephen Kingsley on the bench having missed a large chunk of pre-season. James Penrice and Gerald Taylor provide energy and width as wing-backs.

As for the midfield trio. Without Beni Baningime and Boateng, I suspect Naismith will opt for Jorge Grant to play as the deepest of the trio with Cammy Devlin and Blair Spittal for assistance. Devlin provides energy and Spittal diligent midfield play with an eye for goal and good at set-pieces. 

Predicted line-up: Clark; Oyegoke, Kent, Rowles; Taylor, Devlin, Grant, Spittal, Penrice; Shankland, Vargas.

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James Cairney

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Steven Naismith’s record against Rangers last season wasn’t the best. Come the end of it all, Hearts’ record against the Ibrox club stood at played six, lost five, drawn one, making them the only domestic side that Naismith has faced but is still to record a victory over.

The Hearts head coach will be keen to bring that unwanted record to a close on Saturday afternoon, and so I expect Naismith to try something a little different today. He usually opted for a back three against the Govan outfit last term, but I think we could see the team set up in a 4-2-3-1 at Tynecastle.

There’s stiff competition between Zander Clark and Craig Gordon to start in goal, but I think it’s the former that will get the nod. Clark has performed consistently over the past year or so, while Gordon - club legend though he may be - simply hasn’t through a lack of opportunities. Bringing the veteran goalkeeper back into the starting XI could represent something of a gamble.

The defence, meanwhile, is a little more clear-cut. I’d expect summer signings James Penrice and Gerald Taylor to line up on either flank, and a central defensive partnership of Frankie Kent and Daniel Oyegoke. Kye Rowles is another option here, but the Aussie has struggled against Rangers in the past and doesn’t always look comfortable in a back four.

I expect we’ll see a three-man midfield, but one with a slightly different structure to last season. I think Naismith will deploy two central midfielders with a No.10 ahead of them. Beni Baningime and Calem Nieuwenhof are both missing out through injury so I think we’ll see Cammy Devlin and Blair Spittal in the pairing with Yan Dhanda ahead of them to supply some creativity. Spittal’s delivery from set-pieces could well prove crucial too.

Up front, it’s a little more straightforward. Lawrence Shankland will act as the tip of the spear - that much is obvious - and I think he’ll be flanked by Kenneth Vargas and Alan Forrest on either side. There’s an argument to be made for Barrie McKay’s inclusion on the left ahead of Forrest, but I feel the latter brings more energy and pace - something that could really help Hearts hit their opponents on the counter when the opportunity arises.

Predicted line-up: Clark; Penrice, Kent, Oyegoke, Taylor; Spittal, Devlin, Dhanda; Forrest, Vargas, Shankland.