ALEX McLEISH will allow Garry O'Connor to re-launch his Scotland career - if the former Hibs player can earn his place on merit.

O'Connor has not been involved with the national team since he missed a flight to Ukraine last October, offering no explanation or apology to the then boss Walter Smith.

The 23-year-old even-tually apologised for his disappearing act last month and McLeish will not freeze the Lokomotiv Moscow player out of the national side.

O'Connor is currently sidelined after under-going a hernia operation and is likely to miss the Euro 2008 double-header against Georgia and Italy.

But McLeish said of the striker's situation: "I don't want to see him spoiling the great opportunity he has in football life.

"We have to look at it from a football point of view and Garry knows he's in the last-chance saloon.

"I don't want to see a young player wasting his career. He's a guy with fantastic ability and a good opportunity to realise his potential.

"It's still early days, he's still a young player, and he's still got a lot to learn."

O'Connor had been used as a substitute in Scotland's stunning win over France last October but he failed to report to the team HQ afterwards.

The Russian league season does not begin until mid-March, and as O'Connor recovers from surgery, he might find that Craig Beattie and Kris Boyd nudge ahead of him in the pecking order.

McLeish will be keen to rely on those players who have got Scotland into an enviable position in the group before he takes charge for his first game against Georgia on March 24 at Hampden before the trip to Bari four days later.

However, he is not against the idea of drafting in players who are untested at international level, if he believes they are good enough.

Big Eck said: "We've certainly seen quite a lot of games, keeping an eye on players' form, getting reports from other managers and coaches.

"One or two new names have come into our reckoning and we have to decide whether they are good enough to go ahead of some squad members.

"Remember, we can only name 25 players and there is quite a nucleus of experienced guys.

"We know that to progress in this competition that the experienced guys will be important to us.

"But for me, there's no harm in a young player like Scott Brown or, indeed, Alan Gow continuing to play at the top of their game and threatening some of the senior players' positions."

McLeish has also been heartened by the form of Rangers winger Chris Burke and Kilmarnock striker Steven Naismith.

Under-21 international Naismith has scored six goals in four games while Burke - who was not included in a training pool or a B squad last month - sparkled for Rangers during their Uefa Cup ties with Hapoel Tel Aviv.

McLeish said: "Their form has been great - whether it is enough to oust players who are tried and trusted is another matter.

"It's a huge game against Georgia. It's not easy coming in as a young player making your international debut in such an important game.

"But if we feel the young player is good enough then he will play."

He is also considering calling up Sheffield United defender Chris Armstrong. The uncapped full-back qualifies through Scottish-born grandparents, and McLeish has been alerted to his fine form by Blades assistant boss Stuart McCall, a former Scotland midfielder.

However, he may be ineligible, having already been capped for England at Under-20 level.