CELTIC skipper Scott Brown is free to play in Sunday's League Cup Final, along with Dundee United's Calum Butcher.

SFA Compliance Officer, Tony McGlennan, today decided neither player should be served with a Notice of Complaint following last weekend's Scottish Cup quarter-final draw between the Hoops and Dundee United at Tannadice.

However, United's Nadir Ciftci has been cited for violent conduct and handed a two-game ban.

The Turkish striker has until tomorrow to lodge an appeal.

Ciftci is already suspended from this weekend's final, having previously picked up two bookings in the League Cup.

So if he accepts this latest ban, or fails in an appeal, he will miss the Scottish Cup replay against Celtic a week tomorrow and the next Scottish Cup tie in which United play.

Brown has maintained he has no case to answer as his challenge on Cifcti, which sparked the melee, was seen by referee Craig Thomson and assistant Graham Chambers, who deemed it fair.

The Compliance Officer considers this to be the case, so is taking no action.

Butcher will not be punished because, despite the fact he has since been confirmed as the perpetrator of the kick on Virgil van Dijk, the match officials sent off the wrong man.

But that brought a strong response from the Parkhead club. A statement read: "Celtic Football Club notes that no action appears to have been taken in relation to Calum Butcher of Dundee United.  

"It seems completely illogical and fundamentally unfair that, in an incident where mistaken identity has been claimed, the Dundee United player now identified clearly as being involved in the incident appears to have no case to answer - and would be available to play in the League Cup final and the Scottish Cup replay between the two teams - while Celtic’s player may potentially miss both of those matches.

"Celtic Football Club and Virgil van Dijk maintain their position that no red card offence was committed by Virgil.

"Virgil will appear at Hampden to put his case on Thursday and we will fully support him in this appeal."

Paul Paton was the man pointed out to Thomson by Chambers, and, on a technicality, there is no mechanism to retrospectively punish Butcher.

Paton has appealed his red card, and this will be the subject of a Fast Track hearing at Hampden on Thursday.

Van Dijk - who was sent off along with Paton for his clash with Butcher - is also appealing his dismissal on Thursday.

If these appeals fail, both players will be suspended for Sunday's final and next week's Scottish Cup replay.

McGlennan also studied the incident when United were awarded a penalty after Aidan Connolly went down in the area under a challenge from Anthony Stokes.

Hoops boss Ronny Deila and skipper Brown both insisted it was a dive.

But McGlennan has decided the match officials did see the incident, that there was some contact, and therefore no charge of simulation will be brought.