Michael Gardyne is to face a Scottish FA hearing over alleged comments made during Ross County's defeat by Rangers on 6 December.

Ross County held an investigation after Gardyne was booked for reacting to a tangle with Alfredo Morelos.

Rangers players responded angrily and Ibrox manager Steven Gerrard urged County to examine the matter.

The club said they would be taking no further action, but the midfielder will have a SFA hearing on 21 January.

The SFA says he allegedly breached disciplinary rule 77, which says players must not "act in any manner which is of improper or use any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour".

The-then County boss Stuart Kettlewell had vowed to punished Gardyne if he had said anything "untoward".

However, the club subsequently released a brief statement saying the investigation had concluded, no further action would be taken and no further comment would be made.

Kettlewell said after the 4-0 defeat he knew "the wording that was used" according to referee John Beaton, who he pointed out was "standing a yard or two away", and suggested "there are stories flying about regarding what's been said".

Gerrard marched on to the Global Energy Stadium pitch to confront Beaton as the whistle sounded for the interval but admitted he only knew what was alleged to have been said from hearing it second-hand.