McDonald piqued at trial by TV

Celtic’s Australian striker Scott McDonald has angrily denied trying to injure Lee Wilkie as he faces a potential ban next season for his tackle on the Dundee United defender.

The Celtic forward’s challenge has been passed on to the Scottish Football Association’s video review panel as it was not seen clearly by referee Stuart Dougal, who came under fire from Dundee United boss Craig Levein for failing to stop play immediately so Wilkie could receive treatment.

The review panel will not meet until the end of this season so there is no chance of Socceroos striker McDonald missing either of Celtic’s two remaining Scottish Premier League matches.

However, McDonald can’t believe the SFA have ordered him to stand trial by TV. He said: “I find it astonishing that the video review panel will be looking at this when the referee was standing only five yards away from it when it happened.

“I thought these reviews were for incidents missed by the referee. Stuart Dougal didn’t miss this one – he just didn’t think there was anything in it.

“And Lee’s reaction suggests he felt the same way. He even asked me for my shirt at the end of the game.

“Do you think he would have done that if he thought I had tried to seriously injure him?”

McDonald’s chances of avoiding a ban could be helped by the fact that, immediately after the match, Wilkie absolved him of any blame for the incident.

“He caught me just below the knee but I don’t think it was intentional,” the defender said.

McDonald is the second Celtic player to be referred to the SFA panel this week, with Dutchman Glenn Loovens’ challenge on Rangers’ American midfielder Maurice Edu during Saturday’s Old Firm game also being investigated.

An SFA spokesman said: “The same review panel will consider both incidents and we hope to get it convened by the end of this week.”