Newspaper reports have claimed McClaren will be confirmed as Sven-Goran Eriksson's successor on Thursday.

"I am just looking forward to the matter being settled one way or the other," McClaren said after Boro's 0-0 draw at Manchester United on Monday.

"The FA has gone through a process and will make a decision when they want."

McClaren had been favourite for the post, but appeared to have dropped out of the running when the FA made a play for Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

But he was quickly re-instated as the bookies' choice for the post after Scolari dramatically ruled himself out of the running last week.

Two great European comebacks shouldn't make McClaren a prime target for the England job From DS Have your say on 606

But he insisted he was focusing on Boro's final games - they face trips to Bolton on Wednesday and Fulham on Sunday before next week's Uefa Cup final against Sevilla - rather than the England job.

"I cannot focus on anything else just now than our next game," he said.

"The FA have gone through their process. Everyone has adhered to it. Now we are just waiting for whatever decision they wish to make."

Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishley and Martin O'Neill are the other names in contention for the job.

Allardyce said on Sunday that he believed he was still in the frame for the England job.

He said: "I have been disappointed once and I thought it was all over when Scolari was offered the job.

It is a big honour to be talked about as though I am capable of doing the England job - but I am not a candidate Arsene Wenger

"But it has all turned around and it appears I am back in the frame.

"I am more than keen - it is my dream job. I am in with a shout and I am hopeful, but until I get a phone call I will not know one way or another."

Eriksson is to stand down after this summer's World Cup finals.

And, despite the fiasco surrounding Scolari, FA officials want to stick to their original plan of appointing the next England manager before the World Cup.

"A senior FA source has told the BBC that Scolari's bolt from the blue took the headhunting committee totally by surprise," said BBC Five Live football correspondent Jonathan Legard.

"But he insisted that the process was still on track because it was vital that the clubs whose managers are on the list knew where they stood."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said on Monday that he was flattered to be considered as a candidate, but said he was committed to his club role.

"It is a big honour to be talked about as though I am capable of doing the England job but I am not a candidate," he said.

Scolari cited media intrusion for his U-turn but former England boss Sir Bobby Robson told BBC Five Live's Sportweek programme he found that hard to believe.

"You can't tell me that the pressure from the English press is greater than the pressure from the Brazilian press," he said.

"I've been in Brazil with England and I've seen the amount of media attention that surrounds the Brazilian national coach.

"I would think there are 200,000 journalists in Brazil - and that's greater than it is in England."