Who will win Hearts vs Rangers? Our writers make their predictions as Derek McInnes set for Tynecastle tinderbox

Rangers visit Tynecastle on Wednesday as Derek McInnes returns to face his former club for the first time since joining Ibrox; Hearts are depleted by injuries to Shankland and Devlin.

Derek McInnes returns to Tynecastle for the first time since leaving Hearts to take charge of Rangers. The Ibrox side visit on Wednesday night in a fixture with significant implications for the Scottish Premiership title race. A Rangers win would open up a seven-point gap over Hearts and prevent Celtic from extending their lead further.

Hearts have not lost a league match at home for over 18 months, a record largely built during McInnes's tenure and maintained by successor Wouter Vrancken. However, the hosts are heavily depleted, with captain Lawrence Shankland and midfielder Cammy Devlin both sidelined through injury. Rangers, by contrast, are in strong form across all areas of the pitch, with creative threats on the flanks in Minsu Kim and Badredine Bouanani.

The Record Sport writers are split but lean towards a Rangers victory. While Hearts showed resilience with a 2-0 win at Motherwell on Sunday, defensive vulnerabilities against top opposition remain a concern. Rangers are expected to exploit these gaps, though the hostile Tynecastle atmosphere and McInnes's emotional return add an unpredictable edge to the encounter.