McClaren set to sign new contract at Boro

A press conference arranged for this afternoon is expected to confirm that legal difficulties which had delayed a contract extension in the summer have now been resolved.

The news has implications for the England management set-up because McClaren is also a key part of the coaching team under Sven Goran Eriksson. He has been tipped as one of the favourites to succeed Eriksson.

McClaren, 45, formerly No 2 at Manchester United, joined Middlesbrough in June 2001.