Kirk keen, Brown staying at Ayr - what now for St Johnstone?

Andy Kirk will continue in interim charge against Celtic this weekend

St Johnstone’s hunt for a new manager continues this week as the Perth club search for a replacement for Craig Levein.

Andy Kirk and Alex Cleland will take the team for a second game in a row as league leaders Celtic visit McDiarmid Park as the club's board do their due diligence in the background.

So how far along are the club in finding the new boss? And who are the contenders?

Who is making the decision?

The new American owner Adam Webb is back in the United States undergoing medical treatment after being diagnosed with cancer.

However, he will take part in the interview process along with other directors at the club including new chief executive Francis Smith.

Who are the contenders?

It was reported earlier this week that Scott Brown had been spoken to but the former Scotland captain has since signed a contract extension at Ayr United.

Aberdeen coach Peter Leven is one of those under consideration after the 41-year-old took interim charge at Pittodrie after Neil Warnock's departure and led the side to a run of just one defeat in 11 matches.

Tiernan Lynch, who is currently in charge of Northern Irish league club Larne, is also a contender.

Lynch, 44, has steered Larne to back-to-back titles and into the Uefa Conference League - the first time a club from Northern Ireland has made it to the main draw of a European competition.

They are due to face Norwegian side Molde in their opening match next week.

Other potential candidates are the former Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray and the Livingston manager David Martindale, who turned down the opportunity to speak to the club prior to the appointment of Craig Levein last year.

Kirk, meanwhile, has said he feels he is "capable" of managing St Johnstone long-term, but admits he has had no discussions with the ownership about his future.

“When the opportunity presents itself you just have to look at the situation you are in and decide whether you think it’s right for you or not," he said.

“We will be as professional as we can and let the club deal with the process off the pitch. Then we will see how it goes.”

What is the timescale?

There is no timescale with regards a new appointment.

The club have begun the process of interviewing candidates and this will continue over the weekend.

Although no deadline has been set - the new manager could be in place for the game against Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday 6 October.