Lee McCulloch has declared the Hearts standard set as he insisted places are still up for grabs ahead of a Premiership opener against Celtic.
The Jambos will conclude their Premier Sports Cup group stage campaign against Inverness Caley Thistle on Sunday having already topped the section with three wins from three.
But co-assistant boss McCulloch has reminded players there can be no drop in standards.
Robbie Neilson's team will mark their return to the top-flight by hosting the Hoops on Saturday, July 31 and McCulloch hopes that's enough incentive to keep momentum rolling when ICT visit Tynecastle.
He told the Hearts website: “That’s the standard that we set before (it started). We wanted to finish first in the group and to have done that with a game to go probably speaks volumes for the players in the dressing room.
“We’ve got a really important game coming up because we want to win that as well to set us up for the start of the league season.
“When you play with a club like this, in every game the performance is relatively important but the result is obviously more important. We’ve got three wins from three games and we’re looking to and hoping to make that four come Sunday.
“I’m hoping there will be the competitive edge that we’ve had in the previous games. There are places to play for.
“It’s our last game before the league opener so I think it would be up to the players to stake a claim for their place if they want to play in that league opener. It’s the perfect opportunity; at home, on the TV and against a really good team.”
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