Claudio Braga expects Derek McInnes to face a hostile reception when he returns to Tynecastle on Wednesday night – a ‘consequence’ of leaving Hearts for Rangers four months ago.

Last season, the 55-year-old took the Gorgie men to within three minutes of a first Scottish title since 1960.

After just one season in the capital, though, he was head-hunted by his former club as Danny Rohl’s replacement and joined Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin in moving along the M8 to Govan.

While Braga is adamant that the players who McInnes previously managed still have the utmost respect for him after they almost rewrote Scottish football history, the Portuguese can well understand that supporters may see it differently.

‘Yeah, I believe so. And I understand a little bit why,’ he said.

‘Of course, we shared the locker room with them and we know them personally. And I couldn’t just hate them just because they left the club. That’s what a football player professionally needs to do. That’s their choice. I just could never judge that.

‘But I believe it will be a strong atmosphere for them. That was their choice. So now, of course, they have the consequences. And they knew that, I think, when they left.

‘But yeah, I think our focus needs to be on the game and not on the backstage.’

Leaders of the Premiership from the autumn until the closing moments of the campaign, McInnes’ Hearts side came as close as anyone to breaking the Old Firm’s stranglehold on the big prize since Aberdeen in 1985.

As a result of sharing a campaign which still contained far more highs than lows, Braga insists McInnes is still held in high esteem by the squad he left behind.

‘Personally, I really like Derek,’ said the forward. ‘I have nothing bad to say about him, Shanks or Cammy. I shared one amazing year with them and really love them as people. So, of course, it will be good to face them, but I have nothing but love for them.

‘I feel like we had such a wonderful year, even though, of course, it ended the way it ended.

‘When it’s a bad year, maybe the relationships won’t be that strong. But a season like that, you just literally become a family. And, of course, the bonds are created. And I hope we do the same this year.’

Wouter Vrancken’s men got back to winning ways at Motherwell on Sunday with Braga and Calvin Miller netting the goals which sealed a first league victory for the side outside of Edinburgh since January.

The triumph was chalked up despite a lengthy injury list but Braga contends that the adverse circumstances in which Hearts find themselves is fuelling a siege mentality.

‘Every time you look, you just lose somebody,’ he said. ‘But in a way, if we go on a pitch like we did on Sunday and fight for each other, it doesn’t matter.

‘Of course, it’s hard when you see so many injuries and it’s hard to lose players that are used to playing every week. And then you just need to adapt, get a chemistry with new players. But at the same time, we can’t just have excuses.’

After losing to Celtic and Trabzonspor, Braga felt that Sunday’s victory arrived at just the right time.

‘Yeah, of course,’ he said. ‘Just bouncing back from these last two results, especially the one in the league, was important.

‘We stuck together, fought as a family and I feel that matters a lot. Because playing good is going to happen, but some days you won’t. You need to play dirty and we fought as a family and we got the win.’