Dundee United could be in trouble for fielding an ineligible player

Dundee United could face more misery to round off their relegation season after it emerged they may be docked points and fined for fielding an ineligible player.

Reports in the Express state a Scottish Professional Football League panel will discuss a potential regulation breach on Wednesday, relating to players being unable to feature for their parent clubs after returning from loan from April 1 onwards.

Ali Coote played in Friday's 3-2 Premiership win at Inverness after playing on loan at East Fife in April while Jamie Robson was named on the bench less than a week after playing for Brechin.

A Dundee United spokesman was unable to comment on the story when it broke after their 3-3 draw with Partick Thistle at Tannadice. The SPFL was unavailable for comment.

Neither Coote nor Robson featured in United's 18-man squad against the Jags.

SPFL regulations on player registrations say: "Unless the board shall, in order to ensure the integrity of the competition, exceptionally determine otherwise, and on such conditions and for such official match or matches as the board may specify, a player who becomes Scottish FA registered with a club on or after 1st April in any season shall not be eligible to play in an official match for that club until (i) the first league match of his club in the immediately succeeding season; or, (ii) if earlier, the first match of his club in a competition which will take place principally in the immediately succeeding season."

United will finish bottom regardless of any points deduction.