Dundee United face a possible points deduction after listing two ineligible players on their team sheet in the recent win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

The Premiership's bottom club fielded youngster Ali Coote for 13 minutes of the 3-2 victory on Friday night, despite SPFL rules forbidding them from doing so.

The midfielder had spent the second half of the season on loan at League Two champions East Fife.

His team-mate, Jamie Robson, did not take to the field but had also been on loan at Brechin City and should not have been named amongst the substitutes.

Players returning from temporary deals towards the end of a campaign can not turn out for their parent club until the opening of the next registration period, which isn't until June.

An independent panel will convene shortly to determine a sanction for the already-relegated club.

The likely course of action will be a reversal of the scoreline to give Inverness a 3-0 victory. Dundee United may also face a fine or a possible further points deduction.

Dundee United's confusion may have arisen from the contrasting registration rules between the SPFL and Scottish FA.

At SFA level, a player's registration will automatically revert to his parent club on the day a loan deal terminates. In Coote's case, this was May 5.

League rules then come into play but forbid the fielding of returning loan players at this stage of the season on two counts.

The terms of a temporary transfer under the SPFL's regulations state that it must run until the first day of the next registration period, which is in June.

Rules are not breached by United's agreement with East Fife ending earlier. But, technically, Coote is an East Fife player for the purposes of the league until June and is ineligible for his parent club's first team, leading to a rule breach.

In case of any further ambiguity on Dundee United's part, another SPFL rule makes clear that players are not eligible.

Any player who becomes registered to a club at SFA level after April 1 each year can not play an official match for that club until the next season.

With both players' registrations having been with different clubs, and then reverting back to Dundee United after that deadline, neither are eligible.

Handing Inverness victory could have a bearing on prize money at the end of the season. Three points for John Hughes' side will automatically move them up to seventh in the Premiership, above Dundee, with two games to play.

Should they maintain their spot, they will receive £52,750 more in prize money than they would for coming eighth. The total payouts for seventh and eighth this season are expected to be £1.21m and £1.16m respectively.