Factor 50, cotton wool: Steve Clarke bids to overcome uneasy start to potentially historic month for Scotland

The likelihood of any turbulence was mercifully minimal. Not that anyone was taking anything for granted. The way things are going, it was entirely possible that a suitcase could drop out of an overhead locker and KO Che Adams, which would leave Scotland facing an all-out striker crisis following confirmation of Lyndon Dykes’ enforced withdrawal from the Euro 2024 squad. The delayed team flight landed early yesterday evening from Glasgow after a half-hour wait for a bus to take them to the plane. Relax, Steve Clarke reported no further casualties.

The idea of warm-up games is to fine-tune the team. Keep some ticking over and give others a chance to continue topping up fitness levels. Now health and safety are the watch words. Hearts will be in mouths against Gibraltar in the Algarve this evening. Not for sporting jeopardy reasons, although a country currently ranked 203 in the world did once silence Hampden by equalising before slipping to 6-1 defeat nine years ago, but because Clarke can ill afford to lose any more players. Forget the factor 50, who’s packed the cotton wool?

The nationality of Gibraltar manager Julio Cesar Ribas was not providing anyone old enough to remember Mexico ’86 with much comfort. The Uruguayan isn’t likely to instruct his players to stand on ceremony, although hopefully no one will be getting pole-axed in the opening two minutes, a la Gordon Strachan in Nezahualcoyoti 38 years ago.

A 0-0 draw against ten men ended Scotland’s hopes of reaching the last 16 of the World Cup on that occasion and the sunlit uplands of the second stage have remained elusive territory going back to 1954.

This month might yet turn out to be one like no other for Scotland. History beckons. But Clarke must be wondering what he has done to offend the Fates.

The upcoming programme is spelled out on the tee-shirts of those able to spoil themselves with this pre-tournament jaunt to southern Portugal, with 1,500 Scotland fans expected - a mere posse compared to the 150,000 plus expected in Germany. The dates of this Euro 2024 are soldered into the memory of course: 14 June, Germany v Scotland, Munich; 19 June, Scotland v Switzerland, Cologne; 23 June, Scotland v Hungary, Stuttgart.

Just three games of competitive football stand between Clarke’s team and a place in the last 16. A mere four-a-half hours, although probably nearer five hours once VAR is factored in. Perhaps as crucially, around three hours of non-competitive football stand between Scotland and that high-profile opener against the hosts, which is now close enough to be described as “later this month”. Indeed, it’s now as near as next week. The healing properties of Scotland’s spa resort base in southern Germany cannot come quickly enough.

More mishaps would be unbearably cruel but Clarke is a hostage to fortune in that regard. It’s one of the oldest maxims in sport that those who go out purposely trying to avoid injury tend to be most at risk. Clarke maintains there will be no instruction to take things easy against Gibraltar and then Finland in Friday night’s Hampden send-off. “Injuries will happen if you don’t do everything properly,” he said last night. “If you are not 100 per cent committed is when there is more chance to be injured. We will be committed.”

As much as anything, Scotland need to be reacquainted with victory after seven winless matches. Clarke was braced for losing two players due to injury – that, he claimed earlier this year, is the average before finals according to data - so the loss of five, including a likely starter in Aaron Hickey and possible one in terms of Dykes, has to be considered a deflating way to head into a tournament for which qualification was achieved with a certain degree of swagger.

Some feel Scotland’s prospects are wilting faster than the feathers on the Glengarries of the Tartan Army members who landed in the fierce heat of Faro yesterday. Fewer than would normally be the case have travelled, understandably. Ten days – perhaps longer – in Germany is not a modest outlay. There must be some sacrifices, although one additional attraction of heading to Estadio Algarve for Scotland’s last-but-one game before the eyes of Europe are on them is the points totting system for those wishing to be first in the queue for future tickets, including, perhaps, an unprecedented last 16 encounter.

“I am only here as I persuaded my wife I will not go to one (of the matches) in Autumn and it can be done as a day trip,” said one traveller, although speaking a day before the game, his definition of a day-trip was certainly open to debate.

On reflection, it is an appealing trip – who needs an excuse to head to the land of sunshine and Super Bock? Perhaps those without tickets for Germany have decided to head to this match to sample some pre-tournament atmosphere in streets that are slightly less crammed than will be the case in Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart.

Estadio Algarve is a curious 30,000 capacity arena situated away from any significant urban conurbations, so most fans have alighted in Faro, around eight miles away, and Albufeira, further along the coast. Clarke will be happy as long as the casualties are restricted to those intending to sit drinking all day in the sun.