New Scottish Athletics coaching director Rodger Harkins has admitted he has sent out a SOS to his leading performers in order to pull together a competitive squad for next month's International Match at Glasgow's Emirates Arena.

With European champion Eilidh Child and Zurich silver medallist Lynsey Sharp having already confirming their unavailability, the hosts are without their two highest profile performers for the four-team meeting against France, Germany and Great Britain & Northern Ireland.

It is expected that Chris O'Hare, who claimed European bronze, will opt to start his indoor season at the event but Harkins, in his first major outing at the helm, concedes he has been scrambling to plug the gaps in Scotland's line-up before it is confirmed next week.

"We're going to field as reasonable a team as we can," he said. "We know that Eilidh and Lynsey won't be there. We're in the process of contacting other Commonwealth Games athletes to see if they're available. I'm sure that they'll not be one in every event but I'm sure there will be plenty for the public to see. But it's just a difficult ask for every athlete, coming off a hard season with the Commonwealths and European Championships, to compete again in January.

"From a coaching point of view, it's difficult to get them ready for that. Most will relish the opportunity to compete again for Scotland in Glasgow. But athletes have another focuses. Lynsey will be in South Africa. Eilidh's prioritising the world championship in Beijing."

Harkins' search for a new endurance supremo to replace the retired Mike Johnstone has been put on hold until the New Year and confirmation of the amount of funding the sport will receive from sportscotland over the next four years. However he has pledged to advance a push to provide his leading lights with the ability to train within Scotland whenever their schedule allows a spell at home.

"The athletes come from here but the fact they've chosen to train somewhere else is of benefit to them," he said. "But when they want to come back, we'll welcome them and do what we can to give them the right facilities. Even if they're carrying out the plans of coaches in America, like with Lynsey and Chris, we'll look to help."

Meanwhile British internationalists Luke Traynor and Jonny Glen are to spearhead Scotland's team at the Celtic Nations International in Meath on January 18.