Inverness Caley Thistle (ICT) visit Hearts on Sunday (kick-off 14.00) in the Premier Sports Cup and they are seventh in the Scottish Championship after the early skirmishes.

They have played two matches and drawn them both to be four points adrift of early pace-setters, Partick Thistle.

Both games have resulted in no-score draws, at home to Dunfermline Athletic, last season’s runners-up in the Scottish Cup, and away to Arbroath.

They progressed through the group stages of the Premier Sports Cup thanks to a 1-1 draw at home to East Fife in regulation time and then a 5-3 win on penalties, a 2-0 win at Linlithgow Rose, a 1-0 home success over St Johnstone, newly-promoted to the William Hill Premiership, and a 1-0 victory at Greenock Morton.

Hearts come into the game following a 1-1 home draw with highly-rated, Portugal-based, Benfica, a side fancied to go a distance in the Europa League this season, and a 4-0 home romp against Dundee United in the Premiership.

Wouter Vrancken, their head coach, has noted progression in the play of his squad since he took over and Hearts must surely eye this competition as a real prospect of earning silverware this term.

However, ICT midfielder Graeme Shinnie, who arrived from Aberdeen during the closed season, said: “It is a game for use to try and nullify what they’ve got, and try to knock them off their rhythm.”

The 35-year-old was in the ICT side who edged Hearts in the League Cup semi-final in 2014. They came from behind to win on penalties and BBC Scotland Sport recalled that they played all of extra time with nine men after two red cards.

Shinnie added: “There is a lot that needs to go our way, but we are focussed and we are ready for it.”

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Kieran Wright has joined the Jambos on a short-term contract until January and the 27-year-old has spent more than ten years at Rangers without making a first-team appearance.

He has also had loans to ten different clubs, including Livingston, and his addition means the Jambos have four goalkeepers.

THOUGHTFUL: Wouter Vrancken at training. Picture Nigel Duncan