Rangers are again at new beginnings, after Pedro Caixinha was unceremoniously sacked this week in the wake of two more poor results for the Light Blues. A semi-final defeat to Motherwell and a draw at home to Kilmarnock were enough for the Ibrox hierarchy to say goodbye to the Portuguese and end seven months of disappointing results and embarrassing headlines.

The fixture list rumbles on though and it doesn't get much easier this weekend when they travel to the capital and take on Heart of Midlothian at Murrayfield. The Scottish home of rugby is the temporary home of the Jam Tarts and should provide an exciting atmosphere as two of Scotland's most recognisable clubs go head-to-head.

For Craig Levein and his Hearts side, it's a chance to take on Rangers when they are at their most vulnerable. For caretaker boss Graeme Murty, it's critical that he stops the run of poor results and returns to Glasgow with something to show for their efforts.

It won't be easy, Hearts are smarting themselves from a mid-week derby defeat against Hibs and will be looking to bounce back.

These are the three danger men Rangers must shut down to stop them...

Kyle Lafferty

A well known face to Rangers supporters, Kyle Lafferty has proven again this season that he is more than capable of being a reliable performer in the Scottish top-flight. With eight goals and an assists in 14 appearances this season, he leads the Hearts scoring charts and will be the man to stop when he goes up against his old club at Murrayfield.

Players scoring against their former teams is a footballing story older than time itself and wouldn't it be just typical that their tumultuous week goes from bad to worse due to a former fan favourite?

It's worth noting that Hearts picked up two victories at home to Rangers last season and will fancy this one too. If they are to secure all three points, then Lafferty will no doubt play a big part.

Esmael Goncalves

Esmael Goncalves is another attacking threat that can cause real problems to the Rangers defensive line on Saturday. He has a physical presence that could give the likes of Bruno Alves and Ross McCrorie a tough afternoon, and a finishing ability that makes him a threat whether he starts or whether he comes off the bench.

He is the last Hearts player to score against the Light Blues, netting at Ibrox in May to equalise in what was ultimately a 2-1 victory for the home side.

The Portuguese has scored four times this term, also creating two assists. In a team that hasn't exactly racked up the goals this season, it's been an important contribution and one which Craig Levein will hope can come to the fore again on Saturday.

Jamie Walker

Saturday's match is a great opportunity for Jamie Walker to show he is still one of the top talents in the country after a pretty poor opening to the season by his standards. Although still getting a regular game with Hearts, he's failed to reach the heights of last season when he netted 15 times and became one of the most talked about potential summer transfers.

With just one goal and one assists in 2017/18, he's fallen off dramatically but against the team that tried to sign him on deadline day, he can prove his worth again.

In Hearts' last home game against Rangers he was in lethal form, scoring twice in a thumping 4-1 win that became one of the key matches that led to the managerial demise of Mark Warburton.

If he can do that again on Saturday in a TV match, then he'll go right to the forefront of everyone's thinking ahead of the January transfer window.