Former Scotland coach Alex McLeish hopes Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher will return to the fold.

McLeish admits the Fletcher wrangle is casting a shadow over Scotland's whole campaign - and would love to see it solved.

He told the Scottish Sun: "It needs sorting out. You need your best players because your best players turn you into a better manager.

"That's the bottom line, it's all about players. Steven grew in stature with Wolves over the last two seasons.

"I was trying to get him at Birmingham then we were going to go for him at Aston Villa, but it just never happened. He can play the lone striking role which is another plus for him, but I don't want it to look like I'm criticising Craig (Levein).

"I don't know what the impasse is so it's not fair for me to say one way or another that Craig's wrong or Steven's wrong.

"But it would be great if Stevie was to make a phone call. Has he got the cojones to do that? Hopefully he has, because I'm sure he'd want to play for his national team.

"You have to try and be shrewd, I learned that early in my managerial career at Motherwell.

"I'd say to the coaches about some player: 'I'm not playing him again', then the next day I'd ask the physio if any of the boys had a wee niggle and he would rhyme the names off.

"So I'd be glad I hadn't said anything to the guy I wasn't happy with.

"I'd say to him: 'You were not at your best last week but you will be alright this week'."