Hearts and Rangers, the two leading clubs in the Premier Division, will be intent on mutual throat-cutting when they collide at Tynecastle today. Celtic, hover in anticipation of making capital out of the damage that will be sustained by one, or both, of their main rivals.

Rangers appear to be in no fit state to repel the challenge of an Edinburgh side who have kept themselves at the top despite last week's defeat at Celtic Park.

With Paul Gascoigne still suspended, manager Walter Smith has lost goalkeeper Andy Goram and captain Richard Gough to injury. The Swedish midfielder, Jonas Thern, is unavailable, having returned home on urgent family business.

Brian Laudrup, who has missed four of the last five matches because of back and hamstring trouble, is available for selection, but is unlikely to manage the full 90 minutes.

"The decision I have to make," said Smith, "is whether to play him from the start or bring him on later. Laudrup's season reflects that of the team - bothered by injury on a regular basis and playing only in fits and starts.

"But we've lost only one game so far and there's no reason to suppose we'll lose that consistency in the second half of the campaign if we get important players back regularly.

"Hearts, Celtic and ourselves have opened up a gap on the others and that always makes the games against each other look very important. But we're only too well aware that we've dropped a few points to teams lower down the league".

Jim Jefferies, the Hearts manager, has a full squad to choose from, the former under-21 international winger, Neil McCann, having recovered from an ankle injury. The Tynecastle side are a point ahead to Rangers and two clear of Celtic, who are at home to the other Edinburgh side, Hibernians. Head coach Wim Jansen has some juggling to do because of injuries that have deprived him of defenders Marc Rieper and Stephane Mahe and forward Simon Donnelly.

Former Aston Villa forward Tommy Johnson returns to the squad along with Andreas Thom, Tosh McKinlay and David Hannah. It seems certain that Harald Brattbakk, the Norwegian striker signed from Rosenborg, will start the match.

Jansen said: "The hardest part of the way we are playing is scoring. It makes the game much easier if we manage a first-half goal and that is why we have brought Brattbakk to the club."

Aberdeen, in trouble at the bottom of the league, yesterday signed Middlesbrough defender Derek Whyte for £250,000. The former Scotland player will start against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.