Hearts set to call upon Derek McInnes as intriguing Conference League draw offers chance for inside intel

The Tynecastle side will travel to Danish side Copenhagen and Belgian outift Cercle Brugge - both of whom knocked Killie out of their European competition this season - as well Dinamo Minsk of Belarus. Hearts will also host Bundesliga side Heifenheim, Cypriot's Omonoia and Petrocub of Moldova as the Conference League takes on a new look for season 2024-25.

Lke the other UEFA competitions, the Conference League will now feature a single 36-team league format, but instead of eight matches, there will be six, with three home and three away. Steven Naismith's side disappointingly dropped into the third tier of UEFA competition following their 2-0 aggregate defeat to Czech side Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League play-off.

Cercle Brugge knocked Kilmarnock out of the Europa League with a narrow 2-1 aggregate victory in the second qualifying round after following up a 1-1 draw at Rugby Park with a 1-0 victory in Belgium. Cercle then dropped into the Conference League after losing their Europa League play-off to Polish side Wisła Kraków.

Copenhagen dumped Kilmarnock out the Conference League following a 3-1 aggregate victory but the play-off tie proved closer than many had anticipated with McInnes' side giving last season's Champions League quarter-finalists a run for their money across both legs. An unfortunate loss of two late goals in a 2-0 defeat in the Danish capital gave Killie a mountain to climb but they gave their opponents a scare in the return leg by taking the lead before being pegged back for a 1-1 draw.

Hearts would be foolish not to turn to McInnes for some inside information in the hope of succeeding where Killie narrowly failed as they look to claim positive results from what will be two tricky away fixtures in Denmark and Belgium.

Hearts will also travel to Mezokovesd in Hungary - where Dinamo Minsk are currently based due to sanctions imposed on Belarusian clubs - to face a side who started the season with hopes of reaching the Champions League. They made it past Armenian side Pyunik to reach the second qualifying round before succumbing to Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets to drop into the Europa League third qualifying round. There they met Lincoln Red Imps, who they overcame with a narrow 3-2 aggregate win despite a second leg defeat in Gibraltar - a result which would suggest Hearts have nothing to fear from the Belarusians. Minsk then suffered a 2-0 aggregate defeat to Anderlecht in the Europa League play-off, losing both legs by a single goal, to drop into the Conference League.

Hearts home ties fall into the winnable category although the toughest task will likely come from Heidenheim who are enjoying a fairytale first season in Europe after a remarkable rise from the German sixth tier. An eighth-placed finish in their debut Bundesliga campaign was enough to secure them a Conference League play-off, where they defeated BK Hacken 5-3 on aggregate to reach the group phase.

Hearts will also host Omonoia, a familiar name to Scottish football fans following Neil Lennon's brief tenure as manager in 2022, and Petrocub, who lost to APOEL in Champions League qualifying before dropping into the Conference League after a 6-1 aggregate defeat to Ludogorets in their Europa League play-off.

The order of schedule for the league phase has yet to be decided but Hearts’ matches will take place on the following dates: Matchday 1 - October 3; Matchday 2 - October 24; Matchday 3 - November 7; Matchday 4 - November 28; Matchday 5 - December 12; Matchday 6 - December 19.