With their teams picked, history awaits for Hearts and Hibs

PAULO Sergio revealed yesterday he had selected his team for tomorrow’s William Hill Scottish Cup final against Hibernian but admitted that even he doesn’t know yet if Craig Beattie will be in it as the striker battles to prove his fitness.

Beattie was the match-winner from the penalty spot against Celtic in the dramatic semi-final at Hampden last month but whether or not he will face Hibs depends on late tests on his injured hamstring.

He missed the last three matches of the season but is confident he will shrug off any ill effects and be available for selection. However, Sergio said: “We’re going to see and take a decision if he is fit enough to deserve to be in the squad.”

Midfielder Ian Black and forward Rudi Skacel, among others, are set to make their farewell Hearts appearances and it may yet be Sergio’s final match in charge. The Portuguese, who succeeded Jim Jefferies in August, is out of contract at the end of the campaign and will meet Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov and director Sergejus Fedotovas, both of whom will be at Hampden to watch the final, next week.

“With the job I have, I shouldn’t be emotional because, when you are emotional sometimes maybe you are not focused the way you should be to do the correct things, to take the correct decisions,” Sergio said. “Nothing, the cup or whatever, is going to influence how much I want to stay or not. It’s about what we’re going to do. What is the project? What can we do? If that is good for me and for the club – that’s the main decision we have to take and we have meetings to make that kind of decision.

In Saturday’s bumper 24-page Scotsman Sport pull-out, the latest interviews, features and exclusives from the Hibs and Hearts camps ahead of the all-Edinburgh Scottish Cup final.

“If we’re going to have an agreement, common interest, very good. If not, okay I have to find another job. That’s life. That’s normal.”

In the Hibs camp, meanwhile, manger Pat Fenlon has told his Hibernian side to focus on one game rather than 110 years of history. Tomorrow’s match is the first all-Edinburgh final since 1896 and Hibs have infamously failed to win the trophy since 1902. However, Fenlon, who took charge in November, said: “It’s my first attempt to get through the Scottish Cup and we’ve got to the final at the first attempt. It gives us a great opportunity. We’re 90 minutes from ending that but there’s a big obstacle in front of us.

“We’ve just got to make sure that that’s what we focus on and not all the other hype that goes with it.

“We can’t change what’s gone on previously, but we can change it come Saturday.”

Hibs are winless against Hearts in 10 attempts and last won an Edinburgh derby in May 2009. That statistic is another Fenlon is aiming to change.

The Irishman said: “They’ve been better for three years but that’s not something I can control. We’ve just got to try to change that and a great way to start would be this weekend.”

Fenlon, who took Hibs to Dublin earlier this week to prepare for the game, has selected his side. He added: “We know the team, the players know the team. It’s been a good build-up.”