Marink Reedijk takes charge of Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership for the first time today, making Dundee United Vs Hibernian a notable moment in the early stages of his spell in charge. It is a straightforward milestone, but an important one: after arriving at the club, Reedijk now gets his first league test in the Scottish Premiership.
The match also sits within a wider Scottish football weekend that includes several managers talking up their sides' preparation after the international break. At Kilmarnock, Derek McInnes said his team have put together a decent run of form, pointing to clean sheets, attacking threat and wins as signs of progress. He added that the squad trained fully together yesterday and returned in good health, with the focus now on picking up where they left off.
McInnes also acknowledged the break was unusually long, but said he was encouraged by the players' desire to get back to work. Looking at the challenge ahead, he described Kilmarnock's opponents as a team in decent form and said his side will have to deal with transitions and set pieces, where the visitors carry size.
Squad news and selection calls
Elsewhere, Craig McLeish said this was the first week his side had the full squad back together, which has made selection more competitive. He described leaving players out as difficult, but also a healthy sign for the group. He also said the Dundee United game feels a long time ago now, with a lot of work going into preparation for this match and the current team being the one they have settled on.
McLeish added that there have been many positives in his team's performances this season, even if they let themselves down in that earlier game. He also noted that the display was not an ideal way to go into the break, although he would have taken the current league position before the season started.
Other updates from the day
Wouter Vrancken also offered an update, saying players always enjoy being back in front of their own fans and that the group was happy to return home. He said the break was useful for players coming back into contention and that his staff used the time to work on principles and tactical intensity.
Vrancken also gave a note on individual fitness, saying Ageu has shown good things in training and played 60 minutes in a bounce game to see how he responded, with no problems reported. Oisin McEntee, he added, is back on the bench, while long-term injuries are progressing well and the club continues to monitor fatigue closely.
In the bigger picture, today also gives Rangers a chance to go top if they beat Kilmarnock, with Celtic not in action until tomorrow. That adds extra context to a day that already carries significance for Hibernian, where Reedijk's first Scottish Premiership match in charge is now the main storyline.
