Hearts manager Derek McInnes views the team's warm-weather training in Spain as a chance to unwind before the intense Edinburgh derby that will significantly impact their bid for the Scottish Premiership title. With a weekend off, the Jambos are utilizing the opportunity in La Manga to prepare themselves for the final five games of the season.
Currently, Hearts are a point ahead of Rangers in the standings and will face city rivals Hibernian in a week. McInnes stated, 'This week, we wanted to change the scenery and environment to allow players to focus on themselves.' He acknowledges the upcoming demands and focus on the games ahead but sees this break as a moment of calmness for the team to bond and prepare.
McInnes is working to prevent a repeat of their last visit to Easter Road, where they lost 3-2 to Hibernian in December. He prefers not to dwell on the upcoming derby just yet, instead choosing to focus on the task at hand.
McInnes recognizes the significance of the game for both teams and aims to deliver a performance consistent with their season's showing, emphasizing the importance of doing their jobs well to secure a win.