Image source, SNSHibernian welcome back Adam Mayor and Jamie McGrath, but Callum Wright, Nathan Lowe and Jacob Devaney, who is suspended in any case, have all picked up injuries and join Kanayo Megwa (thigh), Rocky Bushiri (Achilles) and Jordan Obita (calf) on the sidelines.
Falkirk are set to be without Aodhan Doherty (foot), Joe Gardner (thigh), Keelan Adams and Ethan Laidlaw (both ankle).
Image source, SNSCraig Sibbald is desperate to force his way into Falkirk's starting line-up and help his boyhood club start climbing the Scottish Premiership table.
The 31-year-old midfielder made his return to the Bairns in the summer, eight years after initially departing for Livingston, but he has not started a match since the season-opening defeat by St Mirren, due to injury.
Sibbald is eager to play his part in helping second-bottom Falkirk spark an upturn in results after the concession of late goals in three of their last four games effectively cost them five points.
"Obviously we need to get a wee bit better on the pitch, but personally I've really enjoyed it, being back home and getting used to things again," said Sibbald ahead of Saturday's trip to fellow strugglers Hibernian.
"I just need to stay fit and try and get myself back in the team now.
"It's been kind of down to my hamstring a few weeks ago and then I've just kind of had to be patient on the bench recently.
"Hopefully I can just do my thing in training, show the gaffer what I can do and try and get back in the starting team."
Image source, PA MediaJohn McGlynn is hoping that his Falkirk side can "frustrate" the Hibs crowd in Saturday's game at Easter Road, following a tough spell for the hosts.
In Marink Reedijk's first game as Hibs boss, his side suffered a 1-0 defeat against Dundee United, extending their winless run to five Premiership games.
At full-time, some supporters from the away end clashed with police, leading to Hibs announcing the ban of their Block Seven Ultras group from their next three matches.
Falkirk boss John McGlynn is hoping to use the anger from the stands and take advantage of Hibs still being a "work in progress" when the two sides meet at Easter Road.
"For a club like Falkirk, going away to Easter Road is one of the biggest games," said McGlynn.
"We see it like that, but we're not daft, we haven't buried our head in the sand. We know that things are not all rosy in the garden at the moment and we want to try and take advantage of that and frustrate them.
"We want to try and take the game to them and put them on the back foot and make them nervous.
"The Hibs fans weren't happy last week at Tannadice, so we've got to try and make sure they're not happy this week at Easter Road.
"If we can do that, and that can transmit from the stand to the pitch, when the new manager's trying to get his points and his style across, and if we can take advantage of them being a work in progress, then that's exactly what we have to do."
Excluding own goals, Hibernian have eight goals from 131 shots and Falkirk have five goals from 92 shots in the Scottish Premiership this season. Their shot conversion rates of 6.1% and 5.4% respectively are two of the bottom three in the division this term (Kilmarnock the other with 6.1%).
Falkirk are the only side without an away win in the Scottish Premiership this season, drawing three and losing one of four outings.
Hibernian are without a clean sheet in 14 league games, their longest run in the Scottish Premiership since going 15 games without a shutout from August to December 2019.
Falkirk are winless in six top-flight visits to Hibernian (D2 L4) since a 1-0 victory in September 2006.
Hibernian have only lost one of their last 14 top-flight meetings with Falkirk (W8 D5), a 4-1 away defeat in January last season.
Grant Heaney
Fan writer
Saturday's defeat to Dundee was the most deflating of our four league losses this season.
The opening-day defeat to St Mirren was also painful, but we were still finding our feet.
The losses against the Old Firm came with plenty of spirit. Against Dundee, though, we looked short in too many areas and were fortunate the scoreline was not worse.
John McGlynn is a legendary figure at Falkirk, and I have huge admiration for him. Even so, I cannot agree that a draw would have been fair. Dundee were worthy winners from start to finish.
The substitutions were another source of frustration. Three substitutes came on far too late, while some of the earlier changes were head-scratchers. There were other players supporters wanted to see introduced much earlier.
McGlynn's decision to wait so long before bringing on three of his substitutes raises questions about how much faith he has in some of his new signings.
We brought in 17 players over the summer. It is easy to see why when our treatment room is rarely empty. But numbers only help if the players are good enough to make a difference.
While the club, of course, has to live within its means, I would still rather have seen that money concentrated on fewer, higher-quality additions than spread across a squad where several players appear to be on the fringes.
The number of first-team names in the stand on Saturday only added to that feeling.
That said, there have been encouraging signs from the likes of Owen Eames, Ryan Strain and Finlay Barbrook. Even so, the jury remains out on most of the summer recruits.
We have not yet replaced what we lost last season, and our defending at set-pieces is still a problem.
Saturday was a reminder that a bigger squad does not automatically make us a stronger one. If Saturday is anything to go by, it is shaping up to be a long winter.
Highlights: Falkirk 1-2 Dundee
Injury-hit Dundee snatch a late victory at Falkirk as Ashley Hay marks his comeback with the winner. (Available to UK users only)
Falkirk fans, we asked for your opinions on the late loss to Dundee.
Here's a taste of what you had to say...
Pabs: It's a relegation fight for us. We need strong characters. Liam Henderson, Ethan Ross, Ryan Strain and Brad Spencer did well. Time for Ben Parkinson to start, he did well when he came on. It's going to be a long season but the Bairns will come through.
Gordon: Another late goal conceded. I was worried when Finley Barbrook was subbed off and so it proved. Our substitutes lacked physicality; and that is costing us dearly. The one bright light is Owen Eames. Looks a constant threat.
Bob: Is it time to think the manager is not up for the top flight? Too much of the same old. No fresh ideas when we our backs are to the wall.
Ian: Poor defending - again. We can't defend set-plays. Look at Dundee United away, concede in added on time. St Johnstone away, give away a needless foul on edge of the box in added on time, they score. Against Dundee, set-play in added on time, no one in a blue jersey takes charge and Dundee score. It's killing us.
David: We need to learn how to run down the clock. Whatever happened to taking the ball in the corner kill time? The ref didn't help, we got nothing from him except the penalty. The signs are good but let's start taking the chances. Ethan Ross and Eames look awesome.
Image source, SNS"We're not happy, we are losing late goals and it's a theme developing that we need to hit on the head. We've lost so many points by losing late goals, and if you can't win the game, don't lose the game. A point is better than nothing.
I can't be happy. The game is a very tight close game, it was a decent game with both teams giving it a right good go. I think a draw would've been a fair result, but we've fell on the wrong end and we are certainly not happy.
It's personality, character and we need to demand each other to go and head the ball away. It's not like we didn't have enough players there as we did. We should be defending it."
Image source, SNSFalkirk winger Aodhan Doherty (foot) joins Joe Gardner (thigh), Aidan Nesbitt, Keelan Adams, Ethan Laidlaw and Finn Yeats (all ankle) in missing out.
Dundee striker Bobby Wales is out after injuring his ankle while on international duty with Scotland Under-21s.
Fellow forward Joe Westley has also picked up an ankle issue and it remains to be seen how long he will be out while Ashley Hay is available for the first time since August.
Image source, SNSCaptain Brad Spencer senses new-look Falkirk are starting to click into gear following a summer of transition.
The Bairns had a tough start to the campaign amid significant turnover of players but put together a three-game unbeaten run - including a win over Hearts - before the break.
"I think that's always the case when you bring in so many players," Spencer said of their early teething problems. "I think everybody's starting to gel really well together now.
"We've got a good squad, a good group and we've had a couple of decent results back-to-back so it's just about building on it, kicking on and trying to put a few wins together."
Falkirk are second bottom of the table with six points from seven matches. However, the Bairns, who host Dundee on Saturday, had the same number of points at the same stage last term and then embarked on a run that took them into the top six.
"We're not far off where we started last year also, and that obviously worked out well," said Spencer. "We just need to try and put some wins together and we'll be alright."
Since the start of last season, only Aberdeen (15) have lost more Scottish Premiership away games than Dundee (14), who have lost four of their past five on the road (W1).
Despite facing the most shots of any side in the Premiership this season (135), Dundee rank fourth lowest for xG against (10.6). Their xGA/shot faced of 0.08 is the lowest of any side in the competition.
Falkirk have earned more points in their past three league games (5 – W1 D2) than their previous 10 beforehand (4 – W1 D1 L8).
Falkirk won both home games against Dundee in last season's Premiership, one of just two sides they beat twice on home soil (also Kilmarnock).
The past two league meetings between Falkirk and Dundee have finished 1-0, with the Dees winning in December and the Bairns in February last season.
Image source, SNSFalkirk winger Aodhan Doherty is facing two months out with a foot injury sustained on international duty with Northern Ireland Under-21s.
The 20-year-old, who has made seven appearances since joining on loan from Blackburn in the summer, has returned to his parent club for treatment.
"We're thinking he'll probably be eight weeks, so he'll get treatment down in Blackburn and then come back up the road once he gets closer to his recovery," said Bairns assistant Paul Smith.
"It's a blow because he's had wee spells in the team and he was just starting to show things and get more settled in."
In a further blow, right-back Keelan Adams, who was poised to return from a long-term ankle issue, has suffered another setback.
"Keelan Adams unfortunately got bone bruising on his ankle which is disappointing for him because he played in a bounce game up at Dundee about four weeks ago and did really, really well and we thought that was him back and ready to kick on," said Smith.
"With bone bruising, he could be back in a week or it could be five or six weeks, so we'll just have to see how it settles down."
Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland
Are underlying numbers from the start of the Scottish Premiership season suggesting a refreshed approach could be taking hold across the league?
Well, the success stories at Motherwell and Falkirk last season seem to have had an influence.
Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin was humble enough to reveal that Jens Berthel Askou - now head coach at Toulouse in Ligue 1 - has inspired him to change his ways after more than 15 years as a player and manager in Scotland.
Goodwin's side are one of a number of Premiership teams to have undergone a stylistic shift this term, and that is reflected in the league's overall numbers, albeit the sample size remains small after just seven matches for each club.
Compared with the previous five Scottish top-flight seasons, passes per game have soared to 886. That is an increase of 58 on last term. Five years ago, the average was 795.
Passing accuracy is also at a high of 81%, which is quite a remarkable increase on the 73% recorded in 2023-24.
That is down to more short passing. The percentage of long passes across the league (13%) is now at its lowest level of the past five years. Perhaps surprisingly, Hearts and Rangers go long more than any other teams.
Goodwin's United, meanwhile, have gone from average possession of 42% last term to 50% this season. Their accurate passes per match have rocketed from 219 to 320.
It is a similar story for St Mirren under Craig McLeish and Neil McCann's Kilmarnock, while league leaders Celtic and Alfred Johansson's Motherwell are locked at the top of the possession chart on 61%.
The promotion of St Johnstone back into the league, replacing Livingston, has added another side who aim to play a more expansive brand.
The recent appointment of Dutch head coach Marink Reedijk at Hibernian will only enhance that.
Read more: Why early-season data points to Premiership style shift
Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
Image source, SNSBBC Sport Scotland has been taking a look at away ticket pricing in Scottish football.
It is an issue which has been tackled at the highest level south of the border, with a £30 away ticket cap having been in operation in the Premier League for a decade.
Is anything similar on the agenda north of the border?
While it doesn't appear to be at the moment, we have been canvassing the thoughts of fans across the Premiership.
An adult away fan going to a league game at Falkirk will pay £28, with concessions ranging from £6 to £22.
Falkirk fan Grant Heaney says: "Away ticket prices are excessive. I think there definitely has to be some sort of cap introduced.
"I can see both sides of it - everything is going up in price and clubs are obviously affected by that as well.
"But looking at the big picture, just for a family or some friends to go to a game of football nowadays, when you factor in the ticket prices, the travel, even getting a pie and a Bovril, it is a big outgoing for fans.
"I think fans feel enough is enough in terms of ticket prices and it should be brought into line across the board."
Read more: Are SPFL away tickets too expensive?
Grant Heaney
Fan writer
Scott Bain's wait for an opportunity with Scotland goes on, but there was still a familiar face for Falkirk fans to cheer on Saturday.
Luke Graham's first cap against North Macedonia took me back to his time on loan with us in the Championship two years ago.
When John McGlynn brought him in, it was apparent almost immediately we had a player with a big future on our hands.
For someone so young, Graham was a commanding presence at the back. He was calm in possession, comfortable striding forward and rarely looked fazed by what was happening around him.
Those qualities made him a standout in our promotion-winning side and renewing his loan at the end of January proved an important piece of business as we pushed for a return to the top flight.
Having helped us get there, Graham returned to Dundee and slotted seamlessly into their first team last season, developing further under Steven Pressley.
On the strength of those performances, he was mightily unlucky to miss out on the World Cup.
It was pleasing to see Graham make his Scotland debut on Saturday, even if many of us felt it had been a long time coming.
He left a lasting impression during his loan spell at Falkirk and I suspect it will be the first of many appearances for his country.
Image source, SNSWe asked you to rate Falkirk's season and tell us what John McGlynn should be focusing on during the international break.
Here's what some of you said:
Campbell: Fixtures have been very tough, we've played five of the top six. I think we're only a point or two behind what we'd hope to get from those games. Real picture comes after 11 games.
Rossco: After a significant rebuild, the loss of key players and personalities in the team has been obvious. We don't have the same quality in those key areas any more and basic mistakes are costing us points that might be key to our survival. There's been a few questionable selections and subs from the gaffer but overall, it's probably what we deserve within a competitive league.
PB: Falkirk have almost been cursed with the start of the season, between the line-up changes and then the run of teams played. It's been frustrating to watch but also pretty understandable and forgiveable. The win against Hearts shows things are picking up, and although we drew at St Johnstone I would say the goal coming when it did just comes down to bad luck. The team seems to be starting to gel a wee bit more now with more of a clear structure. Onwards and upwards.
David: Yet again McGlynn proves he is the master at building a team that can operate at the highest level on the lowest budget. Seventeen new signings replaced 15 outgoing players. The stop-start nature of this season has allowed him to get the gelling process into the greatest efficiency on the training ground. All of the trends are positive. Three games undefeated. His preferred front four have all scored one goal in the last three matches. In four away matches, only once has he tasted defeat. Fasten your seatbelt for more thrills on McGlynn's Navy Blue rollercoaster!
As the extended international break continues, we want to hear your thoughts on Falkirk's opening seven games in the Scottish Premiership.
Having taken the top flight by storm on their return last season, John McGlynn's side are finding things tougher this time.
Just one point was picked up from the first four games, although a three-match unbeaten run - including a first win, over Hearts - has followed.
How do you rate Falkirk's start to the season and why? And what should McGlynn be focusing on during the extended break?
Grant Heaney
Fan writer
Football has a funny way of making things fall into place - and Ryan Strain's signing feels like a case in point.
The Australia international's arrival raised a few eyebrows among the Bairns faithful earlier this summer. That was no slight on Strain's ability.
We had already brought in Jack McMillan at right-back while Keelan Adams, a key performer in recent years, was also on the books.
It soon became clear Adams was injured and needed surgery, which explained the decision to bring in Strain. He had spent the first part of the summer at PFA Scotland's inaugural free agent training camp, but has since wasted little time making an impression at Falkirk.
Of the 17 players we brought in over the summer, Strain has arguably been the standout so far.
Others have impressed too, but the 29-year-old has slotted seamlessly into the right-back role and made it his own.
His influence seems to grow by the week. He's set up a goal in two of his past three outings, offers a threat with his set-piece delivery and has been reliable at the back, while his 14 tackles won is the joint highest in the Premiership.
Ironically, now that everyone is available again, it feels like his jersey to lose.
Grant Heaney
Fan writer
Falkirk welcomed 17 new faces during a summer of major change, yet it is one of our existing players who has emerged as a standout performer heading into the first international break.
That man is Ethan Ross, who scored against St Johnstone last Saturday during another impressive and encouraging performance.
Ross was a key player as we worked our way through League One and the Championship. He played a particularly important role in our Championship-winning campaign, notably scoring twice on the final night of the season as victory over Hamilton clinched the title.
His first season in the Premiership never really got going after he suffered a bad injury against Livingston early in the campaign. However, the 25-year-old has clearly benefited from a full pre-season and a consistent run in the starting XI.
Filling the sizeable void left by Calvin Miller was always going to be a tough task, but Ross looks determined to give it his best shot.
As well as finding the net against St Johnstone, he drew the foul that resulted in Cheick Diabate being sent off.
Indeed, Ross is the second most fouled player during the opening stretch of the Premiership season, having been brought down 19 times.
It is not just his flair and attacking quality that add so much to the team. He is also a tireless worker who is always willing to track back and put in a shift.
It is great to see Ross flourishing and, on current form, I would like to think a contract extension is something the club are working on.
Sportscene's Steven Thompson and James McFadden review St Johnstone and Falkirk's 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw.
Newly-promoted St Johnstone are sixth in the Scottish Premiership on eight points, while Falkirk are 11th on six points.
Image source, SNSJohn McGlynn believes matching last season's Premiership start augurs well for Falkirk.
Saturday's 1-1 draw at St Johnstone leaves the Bairns second bottom on six points after seven games.
That's an identical record to the 2025-26 campaign when McGlynn's squad improved to finish in the top six.
Much has been made of the scale of McGlynn's rebuilding job this summer as Calvin Miller, Dylan Tait and Barney Stewart all left the club along with their loan stars.
McGlynn believes coming through that upheaval - and a tough opening fixture slate - with the same results as 12 months ago is a positive.
He said: "I wasn't happy with the St Mirren game, the very first game. After that, we've had some really hard games. We've had to go to Fir Park, we got a draw against Motherwell.
"We then had Celtic, lost 2-1. We play Rangers and do well but lose 2-1. We won the Hearts game. Against St Johnstone, we didn't reach the level we wanted to reach.
"But St Johnstone have been going well – they beat Killie, Hibs and got a point at Dens Park. I feel we have been fairly consistent. We are in the exact same position as we were at this time last year.
"That ended up well. So, there's a long way to go and a lot to look forward to."
Ethan Ross scored his first goal for 13 months to fire Falkirk ahead on the hour, shortly after Saints defender Cheick Diabate was sent off.
McGlynn was unhappy at Falkirk's failure to make their advantage count for more – and their tendency to concede free-kicks.
A Saints set-piece finally paid off in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Enes Alic levelled from 25 yards.
"We dropped two points at Dundee United in the last minute two weeks ago – and have dropped another two here with the last kick of the ball," said McGlynn.
"We should be sitting in a better position in the league but we're licking our wounds."
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St Johnstone leave it late to equaliser against Falkirk in a 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw (UK only).
