Willie Collum back in action at Edinburgh derby clash

Referee Willie Collum is back in the spotlight this Sunday as he handles the Edinburgh derby between Hibs and Hearts at Easter Road.

Collum made headlines last week after taking charge of his first Old Firm match at Parkhead, awarding a controversial penalty to Rangers when Kirk Broadfoot went down in the box after a minimal amount of contact with Celtic opponent Daniel Majstorovic.

The 31-year-old match official later received threatening phone calls to his home, which were widely condemned.

Dougie McDonald, who was warned by the SFA last week after misleading a match official over the sequence of events surrounding the controversial reversed penalty kick award in the match between Celtic and Dundee United at Tannadice, has not been given an SPL match this weekend.

Meanwhile. Hearts manager Jim Jefferies will learn today if he is to receive further punishment from the SFA after clashing with referee Collum in September's defeat at Celtic.

But regardless of what action the disciplinary committee decide to take - if any - Jefferies will be eligible to take to the dugout for Sunday's derby at Hibs.

Jefferies, who won't be appearing in person at the hearing, was sent to the stand during the 3-0 loss after criticising near-side linesman Francis Andrews for what he believed was a blatant offside in the build-up to James Forrest's opener.

He has since served the automatic two-match touchline ban but, after being reported for 'excessive misconduct' by Collum, faces additional punishment today when the disciplinary committee convenes.

Jefferies claims that Collum talked to him "like a two-year-old" when he demanded an apology from the whistler at half-time.

However, television pictures later showed that Andrews made the right decision and Jefferies apologised to the assistant referee through the SFA's head of referee development Hugh Dallas.

The disciplinary committee has the power to impose a further dugout suspension or even a fine if they find Jefferies guilty of excessive misconduct.

However, Jefferies won't be banned from the technical area at Easter Road as any sanction won't be enforced until seven days after the hearing.

Hearts striker Calum Elliot is a doubt for the televised encounter in Leith after being forced off with a knee injury in Sunday's disappointing 3-0 home loss to Kilmarnock.

After a quiet first period, Elliot was replaced by Stephen Elliott at the interval.

Jefferies commented: "Calum had a thing with his knee so that was an injury problem. Stephen came on and we went with him."