Kilmarnock’s McInnes Wary of Hearts Challenge Despite European Schedule

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes affirmed that his team will not underestimate Hearts, notwithstanding Hearts’ recent participation in European competition. Hearts, also known as the Jambos, experienced a 2-0 defeat against Copenhagen on Thursday night, a venue Kilmarnock themselves visited earlier in the current season during Conference League qualifying. McInnes recounted his team’s experience: “We came back and went to Pittodrie after it.” He elaborated on the demanding nature of such matches, stating, “That type of fixture can take a lot out of you. Obviously, at that stage of the season, we were still finding our feet. No team’s fully up to speed.” He further commented on the current state of European teams, observing, “I think Hearts or any team playing in Europe now are getting the games through their legs and a bit more game-ready.” However, he also noted a potential drawback: “When it’s the travelling and travelling, it can be a bit of a disadvantage.” The Kilmarnock manager possesses prior experience overseeing teams in European competitions, stemming from Aberdeen’s participation and travel during McInnes’s leadership at Pittodrie. McInnes shared his perspective on managerial strategy: “I think managers look at ‘we’ve got them after a European game’. That’s just natural. You always want to play Rangers or Celtic after they’ve had a European game and they’re getting more distractions or minimum rest. That’s just the nature of it.” Nevertheless, he stressed his team’s focus: “But regardless if we’re getting Hearts fresh, regardless of who plays on Sunday, I know it’s Hearts turning up here on Sunday. We’ve just got to try and be the team that catches fire a wee bit for ourselves and gets a strong performance because it will need to be that.” The two clubs recently faced each other, with Kilmarnock securing a 2-1 victory over Hearts at Tynecastle towards the end of October. Reflecting on their previous encounter, McInnes stated: “We beat them at Tynecastle a few weeks ago and it was a really strong second-half performance.” He then added his expectation for the upcoming match: “But I actually think to beat a team of Hearts’ quality, you normally need to turn up for 90 minutes and that’s what I’m looking for from my team.”