Wigan Athletic are leaving their offer to Scotland boss Alex McLeish on the table.

The Guardian says the former Rangers manager is among Dave Whelan's leading candidates to replace Chris Hutchings at Wigan Athletic after the No1 option, the previous incumbent Paul Jewell, yesterday informed the club's chairman that he would not end his six-month sabbatical from the game to return to the JJB Stadium.

Other Wigan targets, such as the England Under-21 coach, Stuart Pearce, remain on Whelan's shortlist but the chairman is content to wait in the hope that McLeish's desire to work in the Premier League intensifies next week. His contract runs out at the end of World Cup qualifying and the Scottish FA has admitted it would be powerless to keep him if he wanted to move on, a position that will alert several Premiership clubs after his successful international reign.