'Not all title pressure on Hearts' - Pressley

Former Heart of Midlothian caretaker Steven Pressley does not believe all the pressure is on his former club as they lead the Scottish Premiership title race, suggesting there is still the expectation that "probably Rangers or Celtic will just nick it".

The 52-year-old former Scotland centre-half, who played for all three clubs, takes his Dundee side to Tynecastle on Saturday looking to inflict more damage on the Edinburgh side after their 1-0 defeat by second-bottom Kilmarnock last time out.

Hearts have led the way for the past six months but are now just two points above reigning champions Celtic, with Rangers one point further back in third.

"Playing at Hearts, I understand the club, there is always an expectation there," Dundee head coach Pressley, who was captain during his eight years at Tynecastle, said.

"And they have done so well this season, but I think a lot of people externally think that probably Rangers or Celtic will just nick it.

"That is what a lot of people are thinking, so I am not sure the pressure is with Hearts.

"But there will be internal pressure, pressure they put on themselves after having such a good season and, because they are in this situation, they want to go the full distance."

Pressley's side head to Edinburgh unbeaten in five games after Sunday's draw in their city derby, but he is braced for a backlash from a side who have yet to lose at Tynecastle in the Premiership this season.

"It makes it a really intense game at the weekend but a game that our players should be really looking forward to," he said.

"After the result last week against Kilmarnock, they will be a wounded animal. They are at home, they have the best home form in the league, they will be determined to get back on track, so I think the one thing that we need to be ready for is a very determined and aggressive Hearts team.

"They are very good at home, so it is going to take, in my opinion, our best performance of the season to win at Tynecastle this weekend. That is how big a challenge I think this weekend is."

Dundee sit eighth in the table after just one defeat in seven league games - having scored twice in stoppage time to salvage a point against Dundee United.

"They embrace challenge, they embrace adversity," Pressley added while stressing his side will need to improve on their derby performance.

"In the last five or six weeks, they have demonstrated time and time again with late goals their resilience and their grit."