Maeda, Docherty & Edinburgh derby in spotlight

The big games keep on coming in the Scottish Premiership, but the main interest lies away from the top two this weekend with Celtic well clear and looking certainties to regain their title while Rangers are safe in second.

Yes, Barry Ferguson makes his home debut as interim head coach at Ibrox after inspring a stunning midweek fightback to beat Kilmarnock.

However, the real dogfight on Saturday is at the other end of the table as Dundee host St Johnstone in a Tayside battle of the bottom two, while the two just above - Ross County and Kilmarnock - face up in Dingwall.

The following day, it is the turn of the four other sides in the top six to meet as Hibernian host the Edinburgh derby with Heart of Midlothian and Dundee United visit Aberdeen.

Here are some key points to watch out for.

After horrendous starts to the league season, Hibs stuck by their head coach while city rivals Hearts changed theirs. Both strategies appear to have worked.

When the sides drew 1-1 at Easter Road in October, three games after Neil Critchley succeeded the sacked Steven Naismith, they remained tied on points at the foot of the table, with Hibs rock bottom on goal difference.

Few at the time would have fancied the chances of either finishing the season in third place.

After Hibs won 2-1 at Tynecastle on Boxing Day, Hearts were still stuck in second bottom, while the visitors' win merely lifted them five points clear of the relegation play-off spot, albeit up to seventh.

However, Sunday's derby has switched from being a relegation dogfight into a race to secure a place in the top half, with Hibs having moved up to fourth and Hearts to sixth - for the first time since August - after both enjoyed 3-1 wins in midweek.

Indeed, both will have their sights set firmly on catching an Aberdeen side who have regained third spot after ending a dismal spell of their own but suffered a 5-1 thumping away to leaders Celtic on Tuesday.

Hearts, though, can ill-afford to slip up this time as they head to the other side of Edinburgh Castle, considering they are four points behind Hibs and Dundee United - and a further point adrift of the Dons.

Critchley's side have suffered just one defeat - to second-top Rangers - in 12 outings and are seven unbeaten on the road.

However, David Gray's hosts are on an even more impressive unbeaten run of 14, winning 10 of them, eight of those at Easter Road.

A derby cracker would appear assured after Hibs and Hearts displayed their new-found resilience by coming back from a goal down to beat United and St Mirren, respectively, on Wednesday.

With seven goals in eight games since arriving on loan from Union Saint-Gilloise, striker Elton Kabangu has been instrumental in Hearts' mid-season push and will provide a stern test for the defensive stability that has been the foundation of Hibs' own recovery.

Indeed, Hearts have only lost one of their latest 10 visits to Easter Road, have not lost successive games to Hibs since 2009 and were the side to end their city rivals' run the last time they went 12 league games unbeaten in 2018.

Rangers' 4-2 comeback win away to Kilmarnock under new boss Ferguson should help ensure that captain James Tavernier enjoys a happier start to his landmark 500th club appearance when Motherwell visit on Saturday.

The 33-year-old Englishman has consistently been at the top of the charts for goal involvements since making his debut in July 2015, a particularly remarkable achievement considering he plays right-back, but this season it is Celtic's Daizen Maeda who is leading the way.

With 11 goals and seven assists, the 27-year-old Japan striker has been directly involved in more goals in the Premiership this season than any other player.

Rather than miss Kygo Furuhashi after his international team-mate moved to Rennes in January, Maeda has come in from the wings to blossom as the centre of attention up front and his 13 goal involvements (nine goals and four assists) in his latest 10 league appearances are as many as in his previous 41.

All that on top of his famed work-rate and pressing, little wonder manager Brendan Rodgers described him as "a great symbol for our team" and reckoned his form will have caught the attention of possible suitors.

Celtic will be itching to get back on the winning trail away from home after drawing with Bayern Munich in the Champions League then losing to Hibs in the Premiership - they have only won two of their latest six on the road in the league.

And, having grabbed a double in Tuesday's demolition of Aberdeen, it would be no surprise if Maeda was to end his scoring duck this season against St Mirren, considering Saturday's hosts have failed to win in four at home and have lost seven in a row against Celtic.

When Dundee thumped Motherwell 4-0 to leapfrog the visitors into fifth place in early December, the talk was about two sides from the City of Discovery finishing in the top six.

However, after a run of five straight league defeats for Tony Docherty's side, the fear of relegation blues have returned to the Dens Park side of Tannadice Street.

Now four points adrift of third-bottom Kilmarnock and only three clear of St Johnstone, Saturday's visit of the Premiership's bottom side could be season defining for Dundee.

Having only appointed Simo Valakari in October, Saints appear ready to stick with their Finnish manager even if relegated.

In contrast, pressure will mount on Docherty - from Dundee fans at least - should the improving Perth side secure a sixth win in their latest eight outings to draw level in what could then develop into a two-team dogfight to avoid the automatic relegation spot.

A victory for either would, of course, take them closer to one, if not two, of the teams immediately above, considering Kilmarnock visit Ross County.

To do so, Dundee must repeat the form they showed in beating United and Airdrieonians in the cup amid their run of six without a win in the league.

They did beat Saints 3-1 in their latest meeting, at McDiarmid Park in January.

It was the Perth side who prevailed 2-1 on their previous visit to Dens in October, but since then they have only won once in eight away games.

That was also their only win in eight meetings between the sides and St Johnstone have not won twice running at Dens in a single season since 1998-99.

Docherty will hope that trend continues.