Derek McInnes believes Hearts’ warm-weather training in Spain is as an opportunity to enjoy some “calm” before the storm of an Edinburgh derby critical to their hopes of winning the Scottish Premiership title.
With no game this weekend, the table-topping Jambos are currently enjoying a change of scenery in La Manga as they try to get themselves in the best shape possible for the final five games of their bid for glory.
Hearts - a point clear of Rangers at the summit - will resume their title tilt with a visit to city rivals Hibernian a week on Sunday.
"I just think this week, instead of just training for training's sake, we just thought a change of scenery, a change of environment would allow the players to focus on themselves for a period," McInnes said in a club interview from their Spanish base.
"Obviously they have all got families, some of them young kids and all the rigmaroles that go with that and all the demands.
"We know what is coming, there is a lot of demand, a lot of focus on the games coming up, but it is exciting at the same time.
"This is just a bit of calmness to be around each other, get the work done and be as best prepared as we can.
"Next week we have a full working week back in Edinburgh ahead of the derby game. There is not going to be any real change to our preparation for that."
McInnes - who is still waiting to learn the full extent of an injury sustained by Oisin McEntee in Saturday's win over Motherwell - is busy trying to ensure there will be no repeat of Hearts' last visit to Easter Road, where they fell 3-0 behind before losing 3-2 in December.
"We are trying not to think too much about the Hibs game at the minute because next week we will be fully focused on that," he said. "It is important that you don't get too caught up in it.
"But it's hard to ignore it. It's such a good game for us, a brilliant fixture for everybody. We know what is waiting for us. We know the intention that will come from Hibs.
"We want to try and make sure that we produce the type of performance that we've shown more often than not this season and not the first-half performance we showed at Easter Road last time out.
"It is a big game for Hibs as well. I think David Gray has done a good job there.
"They are on par with where they were last season, their points tally is similar to where they would be this time last year when they got all the plaudits for finishing third.
"They are a good team, a capable team. It is important that we do our jobs well enough to hopefully win the game
Initial post-split games to be shown live on Sky Sports
- April 25: Celtic vs Falkirk, 5.30pm
- April 26: Hibernian vs Hearts, 4.30pm
- May 3: Hibernian vs Celtic, 12pm
- May 4: Hearts vs Rangers, 5.30pm
- May 9: Motherwell vs Hearts, 8pm
- May 10: Celtic vs Rangers, 12pm
