Nothing is being left to chance as Hearts look to strengthen their lead over the Hoops at the top of the table in Sunday’s blockbuster encounter.
Craig Halkett insists Hearts will be ready to handle Tomas Cvancara should Celtic’s new loan striker be thrown straight into Sunday’s top-of-the-table Tynecastle showdown.
And the defender insists there’s no reason why injury-hit Jambos can’t dump the Hoops for a third time this season and extend their lead over the champions to nine points.
Hearts will have to go without injured skipper Lawrence Shankland, Cammy Devlin and the suspended Beni Baningime while Martin O’Neill is boosted by the arrival of £9m Borussia Monchengladback hitman Cvancara.
But Halkett says there’s no negativity around Gorgie as Hearts look to maintain their perfect record against Celtic and turbocharge their title hopes.
Hearts analysis team have been scouring footage of Czech Republic international Cvancara.
And Halkett said he and his fellow defenders will be ready. He said: “Definitely. The analysis guys here are brilliant and they go through clips of their strikers through the week, what they are good at, what they are not good at.
“With a new player you do not have the benefit of having played against him before, but you still go through the same process of watching all his clips.
“Just try to get a wee idea of how to play them. You still do it even for players you have played against numerous times.
“You’ll go through it to see if they have changed anything. We’ll do that to make sure we know what we’re coming up against.”
Hearts will be looking to dump a third Celtic manager in as many games this season when O’Neill rocks up in Gorgie.
Brendan Rodgers’ last game in charge was a 3-1 defeat in Edinburgh in October while Wilfried Nancy lost the first game of his ill-fated reign 2-1 to the Jambos in Glasgow.
And Halkett said: “As everyone could see when Wilfried Nancy came in they played in a totally different style. One that took them a while to get to grips with, if they ever did.
“But with Martin coming in they have looked a lot more solid. The number of goals that they conceded before he came in was high for their standard but they have sorted that out in the last couple of games.
“We know how tough it’s going to be. But going off the last two fixtures when we have picked up six points – there is no reason why we can’t go in and try and make it nine.
“We got the injury news early in the week so we know the ones that are not going to be available.
“We have just got to park that to one side and focus on the job we have in front of us.
“All the boys who are available have to get their minds on the game.
“I don’t think you can say it has been the same 13 players who have played all season. The team has changed quite a lot and everyone who has come in has done a great job.
“It has been a collective effort, and it is just going to take a wee bit more of a collective effort over the next few weeks.”
Halkett watched in awe as Craig Gordon stepped out of the shadows to produce a monumental moment for Hearts in this enthrallling title fight.
Now the Tynecastle defender says it’s time for others to emerge from the sidelines and make their own mark for the depleted Jambos on the biggest stage of all.
Gordon hadn’t played a single minute for the Jambos when he was thrust into action midway through the almighty tussle with Dundee at Dens.
Yet the veteran goalkeeper not only stood strong after Alexander Schwolow’s red card, he produced one of the most crucial moments of their season when he threw out a huge left hand to deny Emile Aquah an equaliser.
It’s already being classed among the 43-year-old’s greatest ever saves. More importantly it rescued two precious points for the league leaders.
And according to Halkett that’s exactly the spirit needed when McInnes names his side – minus injured Shankland and Devlin and suspended Baningime – to go toe to toe with the Hoops.
He said: “Exactly, I think that is an example all the boys can look at.
“The goalkeeper position is probably one that doesn’t really change through the season so for Craig to come in and do what he did was fantastic and great motivation for the boys.
“The save he made was such a massive moment in the game and such a massive moment in our season.
Hearts manager Derek McInnes(Image: PA)
“The guys will all be hoping they can be the next ones who can create the next moment that everyone looks back on.
“The news on Shanks was not nice to hear. He has been brilliant for us this season and obviously he is our captain.
“He brings so much more to the team than just goals so to hear he is going to be out for the next few weeks is a hard one to take.
“But there are boys in his position who have been training every single week for this opportunity, and they will be chomping at the bit to play.
“With Beni out for the next couple of games as well we are going to be quite stretched in midfield, but it is up to the other boys to step up.
“There will be a lot of noise from the outside that we are losing key players but within the club we are looking to others to step up.
“Of course, we are going to miss them, but we can keep ticking over. “
Halkett has been in colossal form for Hearts this season and could well be handed the captain’s armband for this afternoon’s blockbuster in the absence of skipper Shankland and vice-captain Devlin.
But while the top scorer and midfield enforcer are both likely to be missing until March on the field, Halkett says their influence off it will still be massive.
The 30-year-old said: “Yeah, they are both great boys and integral parts of the squad.
“They are two of the main boys for getting everybody going, through the week and before a game. Nothing has changed on that front.
“Even though they are not out there on the pitch the two of them are there after training or in the gym they are still in about all the boys. There to help anyone who needs it.
“We have boys who do step up and are loud on the pitch. It is another opportunity for boys who maybe are not heard as much to express their personalities.”
Last weekend’s Scottish Cup exit to Falkirk after a penalty shoot out hurt the Jambos.
But having now gone out of both cup competitions on spot kicks it means McInnes side have still only lost two of their 28 competitive games this season in regulation time.
A perfect four wins from four against Celtic and Rangers is testament to their six point lead at the top.
Just 16 games remain between the Jambos and a monumental title triumph. But there’s still no chance of Halkett taking his eye off the ball.
He said: “Personally it is not something I am looking at. This is just another game we want to go and win.
“We know Celtic are always up challenging for the title so we know how difficult the game is going to be. The position we are in in the league is not something we look at.
“For the boys who have been here for a few years being so high in the table may feel a little unnatural but for the boys in from abroad they can just come in to a form side and ride with it.
“Hearts are on the top of the league and it is not the case that we should not be there.
“We are there on merit. It is just about trying to win every game.”