Hearts chief issues derby warning

Hearts interim head coach Valdas Ivanauskas has warned victory over Hibernian at the weekend will not guarantee a Champions League spot next season.

The Jambos hold a five-point advantage over Rangers in the race to finish second in the Bank of Scotland Premier League.

Hearts would open an eight-point gap over the Light Blues with a win at Easter Road on Saturday, with the Ibrox club travelling to champions Celtic on Sunday.

But Ivanauskas is refusing to take anything for granted ahead of a crucial weekend.

He told The Edinburgh Evening News: “Even if we beat Hibs, there are still three games left to play this season and I think we still have to win all of them.

“You have to have that attitude for the sake of the players because they must approach it with that attitude. A lot of it is down to their mentality.

“Maybe, if we win, we give ourselves a very big chance of the Champions League place, but we know Rangers are also a big team.

“They also have a big derby match to play and that will make a difference to us, but we are looking only at Saturday and our game.”

Defenders Steven Pressley and Takis Fyssas are set to play against Hibs after injury.