MARK Hughes' future as Welsh boss was hanging in the balance last night.

The 40-year-old Hughes (pictured) privately angered Football Association of Wales bosses yesterday when he postponed a pre-arranged end-of-campaign briefing just an hour-and-a-half before it was due to begin, fuelling speculation that he is set to quit as national team manager.

Instead of attending the summit meeting in the mid-Wales town of Caersws, Hughes took his young family away on holiday so he could take stock and mull over his future after Wales' Euro 2004 finals dreams were shattered on Wednesday night as Russia won the crucial play-off.

The engagement was to discuss Wales' failed European Championship crusade and prepare for the World Cup 2006 qualification campaign, due to start next autumn but the draw for which will be held in Germany early next month.

The FAW have secretly made a wish-list of candidates to replace Hughes, if the former Manchester United was lured away into club management.

Hughes' current £250,000-a-year contract with the FAW runs until after the 2006 World Cup in Germany but the FAW have made contingency plans if they lose their man.

Current skipper Gary Speed, Hughes' present Welsh coach Eddie Niedzwiecki and Fulham boss Chris Coleman are the front-runners while Wales hero John Toshack's name has also been floated as a possible successor to Hughes.

But Coleman, whose 32-cap Welsh international career was cut short almost two years ago when he broke his leg in a horrific car crash, ruled himself out of the running last night.

"Personally, I am not ready for the national job," admitted the 33-year-old Fulham chief.

But he did say: "I would love it in the future but I love what I am doing at Fulham and am still learning the ropes. I would love the opportunity to manage my country in the future but I don't see that happening for a while."

And Coleman made a personal plea to Hughes to honour his contract, adding: "I hope Mark Hughes will stay with Wales because we really need him.

"He has turned the team around. In the last four years we have gone from being rubbish to being able to beat anybody when we have got a strong team out.

"I hope and pray he stays but I would not be at all surprised if a top Premiership club comes in for him or even a club from abroad.

"We have seen contracts broken before but knowing and Mark and without putting pressure on him, I think he is a man of his word and will stay."