There's a growing conviction among the players at Tynecastle that Heart of Midlothian can consolidate occupancy of third place in the SPL and qualify to take part in the Europa League next season, according to goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald.
Currently five points clear in third spot of both Aberdeen and Dundee United and nine points ahead of Hibernian and Motherwell, MacDonald believes today's home fixture against Kilmarnock, as well as the subsequent matches before the split against Cel
tic and Falkirk, will have an enormous bearing on Hearts' ambitions.
"Everybody is buzzing just now and the level of confidence in the dressing room is high," said MacDonald. "The next three games could be massive for us. If we took seven points or more from those games then I believe we'll be in a very good position to finish third. When the league splits, everyone is going to take points off everyone else. It's going to be very close; that's why I look at the next three games as vital."
Although manager Csaba Laszlo is likely to recall Andrew Driver on the flank and stick with the 4-5-1 formation which has made Hearts difficult to beat, the return to form and fitness of Calum Elliott, Gary Glen and Mike Tullberg hands the Tynecastle outfit more attacking options.
"We were down to the bare minimum in the squad for a while and a lot of young boys were in the team," recalled the goalkeeper. "But now we've got everyone back at the one time and that's great to have that boost before the remaining eight games.
"To finish in third and get back into Europe would be a real achievement after the disappointment of last season. Third place is the priority. We started the season wanting to get into the top six. Now everyone is looking for top three."
While it was expected Janos Balogh would take over in goal now he's free of suspension, Laszlo has a decision to make on the fitness of both his goalkeepers. Balogh picked up a hamstring strain while MacDonald is nursing a hand injury.
"The last few weeks I've only trained once or twice a week because my fingers keep swelling up," explained the young Scot who signed a three year contract this week. "It's sore and not easy to play with as a goalkeeper. But if the manager needs me to play I'm more than happy to do that."
Kilmarnock have struggled in front of goal this season and a meagre haul of five goals in their last nine games explains why Jim Jefferies' men have been dragged into the relegation dogfight. Currently ninth, Kilmarnock are only three points clear of backmarkers Falkirk.
Even so, Laszlo knows Jefferies was a Scottish Cup-winning manager during his time with Hearts and is wary of the threat posed by a team which won at Tynecastle in October. "The manager of Kilmarnock had very big success with this club, he knows it and he will always feel at home at Tynecastle," warned the Romanian.
