Scottish Premiership PREVIEW 19 Sep 2026: Hibernian sack David Gray three days before hosting Aberdeen

Hibernian go into this Premiership Saturday under a new interim manager. David Gray was sacked on Tuesday, three days after a 1-0 home defeat to Kilmarnock stretched their run of home league defeats to six in a row; assistants Liam Craig and Craig Samson departed alongside him. John Potter, promoted from within the coaching staff, takes charge for Aberdeen's visit. "Everyone's got to take responsibility for some of the results that we've had," Potter said this week, adding that he has no idea when a permanent appointment will follow and is open to anything about his own future. Aberdeen arrive in far better order, having beaten Motherwell 4-0 last time out to end a four-match winless run in the league. Hibernian are without Kanayo Megwa, Marko Ivezic, Rocky Bushiri and Jordan Obita, with Jamie McGrath a doubt; Aberdeen have doubts of their own over Lewis Mayo and Stuart Armstrong, with Emmanuel Gyamfi and Kristers Tobers still working back from injury. Our model reads it as the tightest match on the card, 35% Hibernian, 28% the draw, 37% Aberdeen, barely tipping the visitors despite the upheaval at Easter Road.

Kilmarnock have a stake in that same story: George Stanger's goal at Easter Road last time out, in a 1-0 win over Hibernian, was the result that ended David Gray's time in charge. Stanger, since called into New Zealand's squad, could feature again as Kilmarnock host Hearts in the day's late kick-off. Hearts arrive having lost for the first time in ten league matches, beaten 2-1 away by Falkirk in midweek; James Wilson put it down to one of those one-off days rather than any change of direction, and head coach Wouter Vrancken is expecting a travelling support of around 3,500 to make Rugby Park feel close to a home game for his side. The model calls this the clearest result of the day, and not for the home side: Hearts are backed at 54% away from home, more than double Kilmarnock's 22%.

St Mirren play their last match before the extended September international break with Killian Phillips back from a shin injury Craig McLeish has been managing towards this date; Samuel Ramos, Liam Donnelly, Malik Dijksteel, Keanu Baccus and Jonah Ayunga are still out. St Mirren were narrowly beaten by Rangers last time out, undone by a stoppage-time goal in a performance McLeish found encouraging. Dundee United are without the suspended and injured Emmanuel Agyei, who faces several weeks out with a knee ligament problem, and without Mehdi Merghem; Jesse Randall is the likely replacement in attack. United drew 1-1 at home with Falkirk last time out, Michael Forbes equalising in injury time, and manager Jim Goodwin is back on the touchline after what he described as a straightforward procedure during a spell of medical leave. St Mirren are the model's most heavily backed home side of the day outside Kilmarnock against Hearts.

Falkirk go to Perth on the back of their first league win of the season, 2-1 away at Hearts in midweek, which ended a winless start to the campaign; John McGlynn has no fresh injury concerns but remains without Conor McLeod, Joe Gardner, Aidan Nesbitt and Finn Yeats. St Johnstone were beaten at home by Celtic last time out and have not kept a clean sheet in any of their six league games this season; Josh Fowler has scored four of their eight league goals. Jamie Gullan and Zach Mitchell return to Simo Valakari's squad, with Bozo Mikulic a doubt. The model leans towards St Johnstone without being emphatic about it.

Dundee go into this on a run of three without a win: they led through Bradley Fink at home to Hearts last time out, but Zan Besir was sent off late and Sabah Kerjota snatched it for Hearts in injury time, adding to separate defeats by Hibernian and a draw with St Johnstone. The treatment room at Dens Park is full: captain Simon Murray is out for the season with a torn ACL, Fin Robertson suffered the same injury against Hearts, and Joe Westley, Ryan Finnigan, Ashley Hay, Ethan Hamilton and Charlie Riley are also unavailable. Motherwell need a response of their own before their own run into the international break: they were beaten 4-0 at home by Aberdeen in midweek, and forward Tawanda Maswanhise was taken off injured during that match. Goalkeeper Alex Paulsen, like Kilmarnock's Stanger, has been called into New Zealand's squad this week. The model gives Dundee a slight edge at Dens Park to close out the day's early kick-offs.