McInnes and his players can certainly take confidence from their matches against Celtic this season.
In October, they swept aside Brendan Rodgers’ side 3-1 at Tynecastle to solidify their title credentials. And two months later, they travelled to Glasgow and spoiled Wilfried Nancy’s first match as Celtic boss, winning 2-1 in a gutsy display.
Most recently, Celtic were denied all three points in Gorgie by Claudio Braga’s late equaliser.
“We’ve been there and won a couple of times during my time as a Hearts player,” captain Lawrence Shankland said after the midweek win over Falkirk.
“We go there confident and we’ve been top of the league all season. It’s a 90-minute cup final. If you offered us that at the start of the season we would have taken it.”
A fourth match without defeat against their nearest rivals would seal one of the most unlikely triumphs ever in Scottish football, and former Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart is confident they can get the job done.
“There’s no reason why Hearts can’t win the title,” he said on Sportscene.
“As much as there’s disappointment, scepticism and a lot of ill-will coming off the back of [Wednesday], Hearts need to focus on the positives.
“They are capable of getting the result they need to win the trophy.”
