Wouter Vrancken is preparing his Heart of Midlothian side for a Scottish Premiership visit to Falkirk on Tuesday. The head coach is also looking ahead to the imminent Scotland squad announcement, believing his team will be well represented.
"I'm confident there will be a few Heart of Midlothian players," Vrancken said ahead of the national team selection by Sebastien Pocognoli. His side, sitting third in the Premiership with 12 points from six games, will pick from the same squad that secured a 3-0 cup win over Stenhousemuir last Friday.
Focus on Falkirk
Despite the looming Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Hibernian, Vrancken insists all attention is on the league trip to Falkirk. He expects a tough game against a side whose high-pressure approach he feels has deserved more points than they have gathered. The fixture is a quick rematch, with Falkirk having beaten Heart of Midlothian 2-1 just three days ago on September 15.
Vrancken also anticipates a positive reception for winger Calvin Miller, who joined Heart of Midlothian from Falkirk, from the home supporters. Midfielder Tomas Magnusson was unwell but will be assessed ahead of the match, while the squad's injury situation can be tracked on our injuries page.
Cup optimism
Looking further ahead to the cup competition, the Heart of Midlothian boss believes any team can triumph. "Every team can win depending on the performance on the day," Vrancken stated. The team's recent form of four wins from their last five matches provides a solid platform.
Striker JJ Williams, who signed from Rhode Island, marked his first start with a goal in the Stenhousemuir victory. After the Falkirk match, Heart of Midlothian' next challenge is an away trip to face Kilmarnock on Saturday, September 19. Fans can view the full upcoming schedule on our fixtures page.
This story first appeared at bbc.com
