GARY McALLISTER may have to choose between Scotland and Coventry City.

Alex McLeish and assistant Andy Watson will be unveiled on Monday morning as the new Scotland bosses to replace Walter Smith and Tommy Burns.

And ex-international skipper McAllister, the only other candidate for the top job, is favourite to be asked to fill the No.3 role vacated by Ally McCoist.

McAllister is keen on a full-time return to football and the former Motherwell, Leeds and Liverpool midfielder has been linked with a recall to his old job as manager of Coventry, who sacked Micky Adams last week.

McLeish was the preferred choice from the moment Smith delivered his resignation letter to SFA chief executive David Taylor.

After two interviews the SFA appear to have been convinced by the former Rangers, Hibs and Motherwell manager's plans for Scotland, whose position at the top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group made the appointment one which the national body dare not rush into.

Scotland remain underdogs, given the presence of Italy and France in their group, but as Taylor lobbied for support among Uefa colleagues for Euro 2012 to be expanded to a 24-team tournament the SFA were confident they had recruited a man who could carry them through to the finals next year.

McLeish would almost certainly have been installed today had Taylor been in the country. However he is on vital business in Dusseldorf at the Uefa congress, where Michel Platini is rivalling Lennart Johansson in the presidential elections.

The SFA have refused to confirm the identify their new man but McLeish is understood to have negotiated a deal that runs until the 2010 World Cup.

He will be joined by long-time assistant Watson and possibly McAllister.