THE Scottish FA have launched their own probe into the Alan Lithgow saga and could hand the Livingston defender a further ban.

The West Lothian club have been ordered to replay their Irn-Bru Cup fourth-round clash against Crusaders by the SPFL after Lithgow started the October 7 victory in Belfast even though he was meant to be serving the second match of his two-game ban.

After the SPFL launched an investigation, Livingston subsequently left the player out of the 2-1 defeat to Albion Rovers the following weekend, with the Almondvale outfit of the belief he was still suspended when in actual fact he was not.

The SFA have arranged a judicial panel hearing for next Thursday and will decide what punishment to mete out to the player.

The former Hearts trainee, however, will be available for Tuesday’s replay against Crusaders in Northern Ireland.

Livingston won the initial tie 2-1 courtesy of Liam Buchanan and Scott Pittman goals and the winners will take on Welsh champions The New Saints in the the quarter-final on November 13.