Hearts against Celtic fills EPL fixture hole on Sky Sports as lesser spotted kick-off time explained

Hearts vs Celtic is acting a Super Sunday sub for Sky Sports this week as the broadcaster have drafted the game in to one of their key slots - with Manchester United brought forward to Saturday night.

Brendan Rodgers' team return from the international break with a tricky trip to Tynecastle to face Steven Naismith's charges. The Premiership's lead broadcaster typically shows Scottish games at lunchtime or in the evenings - with their 2pm and 4.30pm Sunday slots reserved for the flagship English Premier League. This week though fans spotted a curious quirk as Hearts' clash with the champions is front and centre on Sky Sports Main Event, kicking off at 2.15pm.

That's because Manchester United's trip to Sheffield United, which was initially due for the 2pm Sunday slot, has to be played on Saturday instead. That's because United are in Champions League action on Tuesday and Premier League rules call for a minimum two-day break between competitive games.

It means there's a Scottish football double header on Sky Sports' top channel with the SWPL Old Firm clash between Rangers and Celtic shown in the usual 12pm slot before attention turns to the SPFL at full-time. Coverage for that one starts on Sky Sports Football at 11.30am, 30 minutes ahead of kick-off, and will also be shown on the Main Event channel between 1 and 2pm. Hearts vs Celtic then takes over on both channels before Aston Villa vs West Ham coverage starts at 4.30pm.

Fans wanting to watch either game can subscribe to Sky Sports here or purchase a NOW TV pass here.