Rumour Mill: Brown will stay if Strachan does | St Johnstone striker blasts Caixinha | ex-Rangers star for Kilmarnock job?

Scott Brown will postpone his international retirement if Gordon Strachan remains in charge, Steven MacLean has fired back at Pedro Caixinha, and Gordon Petric is on the shortlist to replace Lee McCulloch at Kilmarnock.

Scotland captain Scott Brown is considering his international future. Picture: Michael Gillen

Brown to stay if Strachan does

Scott Brown will decide to have another go at leading Scotland to a major tournament if Gordon Strachan stays on as manager. The captain was injured for the final two group games and was expected to retire from international duty once more, but will carry on if he’s able to work with his former manager at Celtic. (Daily Record)

Scotland captain Scott Brown is considering his international future. Picture: Michael Gillen

Mackay, Moyes and McLeish among contenders

Malky Mackay, David Moyes and Alex McLeish are among the leading contenders to replace Gordon Strachan should the Scotland manager’s tenure come to an end this week. Paul Lambert and Derek McInnes are also said to be in the hunt, according to the bookmakers. (Scottish Sun)

MacLean fires back at Caixinha

Scotland captain Scott Brown is considering his international future. Picture: Michael Gillen

Steven MacLean has told Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha to concentrate on the leaks coming within his own club and stop talking about opponents. The St Johnstone striker was miffed after the Portuguese head coach said Morton, who Rangers went up against in a closed doors friendly, play “similar to St Johnstone”. (Daily Record)

Petric to replace McCulloch?

Ex-Rangers and Hearts defender Gordan Petric has become a surprise contender to replace Lee McCulloch as manager of Kilmarnock. The 48-year-old Serbian has experience working with cash-strapped clubs and is keen on a return to Scotland. He’s said to be on a shortlist of candidates the Rugby Park board are looking at. (The Herald)

Sinclair won’t give up on England dream

Scott Sinclair won’t give up on his dream of playing for England despite Gareth Southgate insisting it was highly unlikely the player would feature for the national team. The Celtic attacker believes if he continues to shine in the Champions League then he’s got a chance to impress the England boss. (Daily Record)

Moult unsure of “Scottish” lineage

Louis Moult is unsure of whether or not he has Scottish ancestry in the family after being asked on social media about the possibility of him playing for the national team. The Motherwell striker says his father told him he has “some Scottish” in the family, but doesn’t know whether he’d be illegible to switch allegiances. (The Herald)

Hearts duo to remain on sidelines

Hearts will be without their injured international pair Aaron Hughes and Arnaud Djoum possibly until the end of the month. Manager Craig Levein confirmed today that both players are two to three weeks away from returning. (Evening News)

Allan may return to Celtic

Scott Allan may return to Celtic while he recuperates from groin surgery which will put him out of action until November. Dundee boss Neil McCann is unsure of whether his parent club’s medical team will insist he returns or if he can remain with his loan side. (Evening Telegraph)

Hibs goalkeeping dilemma

Hibs goalkeeper Ofir Marciano is facing a fight to win the gloves back after stand-in Ross Laidlaw impressed boss Neil Lennon in the Israeli internationalist’s absence. Marciano has been very much Lennon’s No.1 choice since arriving from Ashdod on a season-long loan, his performances earning him a four-year contract this summer. (Evening News)