Van Dijk and Paton cleared to play in League Cup final

Van Dijk's sending off against Dundee United was his second red card in 10 days

Celtic's Virgil van Dijk and Dundee United's Paul Paton are available for Sunday's League Cup final between the sides after their bans were quashed.

An altercation saw both players dismissed dismissed during last Sunday's Scottish Cup tie.

The Scottish FA's judicial panel overturned those red cards, freeing both players to play in the final.

Nadir Ciftci later received a two-match ban for his role in the fracas, but will miss the final due to a prior ban.

Brown's heavy challenge on the striker saw Ciftci appear to kick out at the head of the Celtic captain. While play continued, Van Dijk felled Calum Butcher with a similarly physical tackle, both players then grappling on the turf.

Assistant referee Graham Chambers, however, wrongly identified Paton as the aggressor, prompting Craig Thomson to dismiss the midfielder, along with Van Dijk.

Paton's appeal, and that of Ciftci, on the grounds of mistaken identity, were both upheld by the panel, as was Van Dijk's, who claimed wrongful dismissal.