Martin O’Neill believes Hearts will stay in the title race this season as Celtic prepare for a major Premiership test at Celtic Park.

The Hoops face the Tynecastle side this afternoon with the chance to move four points clear at the top of the table after Rangers drew 2-2 away to Dundee last night.

Haissem Hassan and Callum Osmand also start after their impact from the bench in Lisbon, while Benjamin Nygren comes into midfield and Liam Scales returns to the back line.

Speaking to BBC Sport before kick-off, O’Neill explained the decision to leave Høgh out.

He said: “Kasper at this minute, he’s just going through a little bit of a bad period at the moment in terms of scoring goals.

“That’s the most important thing for a striker, regardless of what they say.

“But overall, I’ve got plenty of faith in him. He’ll come through.

“We’ve got loads and loads of games. We’re playing midweek, I think, from here right to the end of the calendar year.

“So he will come back and, as I said yesterday in an interview, he’ll end up scoring a load of goals for us.”

Høgh’s omission was always going to be one of the main talking points.

The £11m striker started against Benfica but was replaced at half-time, while Durán looked far more threatening once he moved centrally.

O’Neill has not written Høgh off, but the Hearts team shows he is prepared to act on form.

Osmand’s inclusion is another big decision.

The youngster impressed in the second half in Lisbon and now gets his first start in a match with real weight.

O’Neill said: “I do have great faith in him.

“His best position is probably one where he can play off a main striker in that sense.

“But here, I thought he’d give us a lot of impetus.

“He and Hassan, both second half. So he deserves the opportunity.

“He’s a really good attitude, really good, and deserves the opportunity today.”

That is the clearest sign yet that O’Neill liked what he saw after half-time in Portugal.

Celtic were beaten 4-1 by Benfica, but the manager has repeatedly pointed to the second-half response as something worth taking forward.

Today’s line-up backs that up.

O’Neill was also asked about last season’s dramatic title win against Hearts at Celtic Park, when Osmand scored the goal that helped seal the league.

The Celtic boss was not interested in leaning too much on that memory.

He said: “I think that has gone into history. That was last season.

“I did say somewhere along the way that you can draw from certain things.

“Their Hearts side is maybe a little bit different to the side that played against us that day.

“But overall, I think they still have the same backbone about their team as well too.

“I think they’re a very fine side.

“I just think it’ll be a really difficult game for us, but we’re up for the challenge.”

That respect for Hearts continued when O’Neill was asked whether this could become another three-way title race.

He said: “Without doubt, Hearts will definitely stay the course.

“No question about that.”

That line will grab attention.

Hearts arrive at Celtic Park in strong form and with enough attacking quality to trouble Celtic if the home side are too open again.

A win puts the Hoops four points clear and gives them a domestic response after the Benfica defeat.

O’Neill said: “The only caveat to that is we have to win the game.

“It will be difficult.

“Hearts are up there challenging, and quite rightly so too as well.

“I think that they will carry this through right to the end of the season.

“So this is, in essence, a big game regardless of what the result will be.”

Celtic have had a bruising week in Europe, but the league gives them an immediate chance to change the mood.

O’Neill has made his big decisions.

Durán, Hassan and Osmand have the chance to prove that the second-half spark in Lisbon can become something more useful at Celtic Park.