MARK McGhee has defended Alan Hutton over the timing of his decision to retire from international football - and raised the possibility of him following the lead of Scott Brown and making a Scotland comeback in the future.

Hutton failed to win his place in the national team back from Callum Paterson during the Russia 2018 qualifying double header against Lithuania and Slovakia last month.

The 31-year-old, who won the last of his 50 caps in the 1-0 win over the Czech Republic back in March, has since decided to concentrate on playing club football for Aston Villa.

Gordon Strachan now just has one specialist right-back, the inexperienced Hearts defender Paterson, in his squad for the Group F meeting with England at Wembley on Friday evening.

However, McGhee praised Hutton for his contribution to his country over the last nine years and revealed Strachan would consider selecting the former Rangers and Spurs player again if he experienced a change of heart.

“It's a very, very personal thing,” he said. “Players have their own families, careers, they are entitled to their own decisions. Personally, I haven't stopped making myself available yet. I know I keep putting myself in front of the manager.

“I think Alan Hutton, at a time when we needed Alan Hutton and he wasn't playing for his club, stepped up for us. He did alright. For whatever reason, he's decided now is the time for him. I don't feel I have the right to say it's not the right time because it's a very personal decision.

“A few weeks ago, Browny was out. Maybe in two weeks’ time or two months’ time when we've beaten England and looking positive again, then Alan Hutton might want to come back. If he does, then the manager will consider that. The door's never closed.”

Brown missed training at Mar Hall yesterday as a result of the dead leg he suffered playing for Celtic in the 3-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday, but McGhee is unconcerned about his fitness.

The Motherwell manager admitted having the midfielder, who has come out of international retirement for this game just two months and three games after deciding not to play for Scotland, had lifted the squad.

He stressed, though, that the 31-year-old wouldn’t automatically walk back into Strachan’s team for the meeting with Gareth Southgate’s side given how well the central midfielders have performed in his absence.

"We have very strong midfielders," he said. "We have James McArthur, James Morrison, who was excellent for West Brom at Leicester on Sunday, Darren Fletcher and I don't think Barry Bannan has done a lot wrong.

“In these last few games, he's been one of our better players. The manager has got a decision to make there and Browny being back gives him another one.

“It would be totally unfair on those other boys. If Browny is an automatic starter, then one or two of them are not going to play. It's not for me to say that. I think the good thing is Browny is here, he is putting pressure on them, putting pressure on the manager to pick him, he's playing well. He has a good chance of playing but that's not been decided yet.”