'Anybody who doesn't is wrong' - Derek McInnes on Hearts title chances and Oisin McEntee injury diagnosis

The Jambos boss was pleased to come through a demanding five-game block – at home to Celtic and Hibs and away to Dundee United, St Mirren and Rangers – two points clear of Gers and three ahead of the Hoops at the top.

With four home games and just two away matches – against the bottom two – before the split, McInnes senses a huge chance for Hearts to reassert themselves after a 4-2 defeat at Ibrox on Sunday cast doubts over their title credentials.

“We thought if we could still be top of the league when we came through those fixtures, that we had, on paper, potentially a good opportunity between now and the split,” he said.

“The fact that we are top with 11 games to go, we’ve got to try and realise the opportunity. I’ve always expected a fight, and always expected it to be tight.

“I see it still as a brilliant opportunity. Anybody who doesn’t, I think is wrong.

“The big part of it now, the business end of the season, is to try and be as good as we can be because this is when it all gets decided. We just want to go into the split in good form, in a good place.

“We want to go right down that final straight still with something to play for.”

McInnes believes there is pressure on all three teams at the top of the table.

“We’ve been there that long, the disappointment would be so much (if Hearts didn’t win it) when, actually, it shouldn’t be,” said McInnes, whose team have been top for almost five months.

“Claudio (Braga, the Hearts forward) said something post-match about how it’s been 41 years since a team has been talked about like this and actually managed to win the league.

“From that point of view, there shouldn’t be any real pressure on us. I want us to keep the form we’ve had up until now, consistent, because if we are consistent, then it will go down that final straight.

“That’s all we want to do, make sure we’re still in the mix for it. Rangers spent a fortune in January. Celtic tried to get as much done in January as well, because they know the importance of it.

“It’s not just each other that they are competing with. They might think it is after Sunday but I think people would be wrong to dismiss us.

“We’re still sitting on top of the league and we’ve got such a strong home record, so hopefully we can make some hay with the upcoming fixtures.”

McInnes reported positive news on Oisin McEntee after initial fears that the versatile Irishman had dislocated his shoulder against Rangers.

“He’s actually good, a lot better than we anticipated,” said the manager.

“We think it will probably settle pretty quickly. Not for this Saturday, but maybe for Aberdeen, which when you looked at how he landed, we’d have taken that all day long.”