Motherwell's William Hill Premiership match against Heart of Midlothian will go ahead as planned at Fir Park this Sunday. The club has been advised that the fixture is confirmed for a 2pm BST kick-off.
It comes after a 0-2 home defeat to the same opponents just days ago, a result that extended Motherwell's losing run to five consecutive Premiership matches. That form, which reads five losses from five games, has left Stuart Kettlewell's side 10th in the table with just eight points from their opening nine games, having recorded two wins and two draws. They have scored 11 goals but conceded 16, leaving them with a negative five goal difference and a daunting 16-point gap to league leaders Celtic.
Hearts, who sit third, arrive following a heavy 7-1 loss to Celtic but showed resilience with a midweek result in Europe. Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson acknowledged the challenge. "I expect to come up against a good team," Johansson said.
Team news and broadcast
Hearts will be without injured pair Christian Borchgrevink and Harry Milne. The match will be broadcast live on Premier Sports 1, with coverage starting half an hour before kick-off, and is also available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. Referee Duncan Nicolson will take charge, assisted by Frank Connor and Derek McFarlane.
For Motherwell, the focus is on arresting a slide that has seen them lose to Kilmarnock, Celtic, Dundee and Aberdeen in recent weeks. The sequence of defeats includes a 3-2 loss at Kilmarnock on Saturday 17 October, where Alex Lowry and Sebastian Palmer-Houlden scored, and a 2-1 defeat at Dundee on 19 September. Alex Lowry remains their top scorer this season with three goals in nine appearances. The immediate schedule offers a quick chance to respond, with an away trip to face eighth-placed St Johnstone scheduled for Wednesday, 28 October.
More detail at Hearts FC
Motherwell lost 0-2 to Hearts at Fir Park on 25 October, extending their losing run to six consecutive Premiership matches. Claudio Braga headed Hearts in front after 29 minutes before Calvin Miller sealed the win with an 86th-minute strike. The defeat leaves the side 10th in the Premiership with eight points from ten games. Manager Alfred Johansson told reporters the players retain belief, stating, "They believe in themselves. Of course they believe in themselves, they work really hard every day." They next face St Johnstone on 28 October.
Motherwell's 0-2 defeat to Hearts on 25 October marks the club's sixth consecutive league loss, a sequence not seen since 2003. Manager Alfred Johansson confirmed the run, stating, "The alarm bells are now ringing." The side, 10th with eight points from ten games, were without Alex Lowry and Lukas Fadinger. They next face St Johnstone on 28 October.
Motherwell lost 0-2 to Hearts on Sunday 25 October. Claudio Braga headed the visitors in front after 29 minutes before Calvin Miller sealed the win late on. The club's own verified match data showed Motherwell had 53% possession and 17 shots but could not convert. The defeat extends their losing run to six consecutive Premiership matches, a sequence not seen since 2003. They next face St Johnstone away on Wednesday, 28 October.
