St Mirren host Hibernian in Scottish Premiership matchday 11 on 28 October 2026. St Mirren sit sixth on 13 points from ten games and are coming off a 2-1 win over Dundee that snapped five straight defeats, while Hibernian are down in 12th on just seven points after three consecutive league losses under new manager Marink Reedijk, who also has a League Cup semi final against Hearts on 1 November to consider. St Mirren will want to build a buffer from the bottom half while Hibernian simply need to win a league game for the first time under Reedijk.
Craig McLeish and Reedijk have no head to head record to speak of. McLeish was appointed permanent St Mirren boss on 5 June 2026 after Stephen Robinson's departure, while Reedijk took charge of Hibernian on 24 September 2026 following an interim spell under John Potter. Neither has had more than a handful of games to impose a clear identity on their side.
St Mirren's last five league results read W-L-L-L-L, though four of those defeats came in a rough stretch that included a 0-5 hammering from Hearts and a 1-3 loss to Aberdeen, so getting back to winning ways against Dundee on 24 October matters more than the bare record suggests. Hibernian have gone L-L-L under Reedijk, including a 1-2 defeat at Celtic on 25 October and an earlier 1-2 reverse against Falkirk, three straight defeats that have left Reedijk without a win or a blueprint to point to.
St Mirren are missing Nikolas Agrafiotis (calf, out until around December), Keanu Baccus (Achilles) and Jonah Ayunga (knee) and with all three out, Eseosa Sule is likely to lead the line alone, which changes what St Mirren can ask for in behind. McLeish will be leaning on younger options throughout.
Hibernian have their own problems at the back and wide, with Rocky Bushiri out long term with an Achilles injury, Jordan Obita sidelined with a calf problem and Martin Boyle a doubt through illness. Bushiri's absence is the most damaging given how much Hibs' defensive shape depends on him, while losing Obita and potentially Boyle takes away most of their width.
St Mirren are expected to line up in a 3-4-3 or similar shape built around Killian Phillips, the side's top scorer on around three goals. Calvin Ramsay, who scored against Dundee, gives McLeish an extra body in midfield when St Mirren don't have the ball, while Sule leads the line in the absence of the injured attackers.
Hibernian set up in a 4-2-3-1, though the injuries make that shape harder to execute than Reedijk would like. Owen Elding leads the attack, with Jamie McGrath as their main source of attacking supply behind him. The loss of Bushiri and Obita forces defensive and wide adjustments Reedijk could have done without and Boyle's doubtful status means the side go into this without their main source of width this season. With options limited from the bench, Reedijk will struggle to change the game if his side go behind.
The midfield contest between Phillips and McGrath is where this one is likely to be settled. If Phillips can keep McGrath quiet, St Mirren control the game. If McGrath gets time on the ball, Hibernian find a way through.
Hibernian have not lost any of the last five meetings between these sides and have won the two most recent. That head to head record is the one concrete thing working in their favour this week, though their current squad, depleted as it is, makes it hard to see them converting that record into anything this weekend.
With three regular attackers unavailable, St Mirren will almost certainly lean on dead ball situations and physical second balls as their primary route to goal. Without Obita and possibly Boyle, Hibernian have no established option to deliver from wide positions. The League Cup semi final looming on 1 November may also encourage Reedijk to keep certain players fresh, making a 0-0 or 1-0 even more likely than it already looks.
We're going with 0-0. St Mirren's improved defensive organisation after the Dundee win, combined with the absence of their three main attacking options, points firmly toward a conservative, shape first approach. Hibernian arrive with three straight defeats behind them, their defensive spine weakened, their wide options reduced and half an eye on a cup semi final four days later. Neither side looks set up to take risks and neither goalkeeper may be seriously tested. A draw moves St Mirren to 14 points and keeps them clear of the bottom four and gives Reedijk's squad at least a result to point to before they face Hearts on 1 November.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
