CLARKE:WIPE OUTYELLOWS
tightrope against Denmark tonight and a card away from missing the semi-final showdown in March.
Several other nations are in the same boat heading in to the play-offs and Clarke’s hoping they can join forces to pressure the big wigs to rip up the rule book before the draw at the end of the month.
The Scotland boss – who will be without Scott McTominay and is sweating on Lyndon Dykes for tonight’s game – said: “It’s something which could possibly be addressed if all the teams involved in the play-offs have a little head to head.
“But that’s more a conversation for the guys above me and UEFA and FIFA would have to find a solution.
“But they would have to do it very quickly. It would have to be done before the draw.
“At this level, trying to get everybody to sit down and come to some kind of a resolution doesn’t often happen in such a short space of time.
“If it happened it would be good for all the countries involved.
“I’ve got a list of most of the countries and they are all up there with seven, eight, nine bookings. Someone told me Sweden have something like 16. So we’re not the worst.”
Clarke insisted his squad won’t be worried about cards as they chase the point that will seal a place among the seeds in the Qatar shoot-out.
He said: “It’s almost impossible to manage, you have so many.
“We’ll just deal with it. The boys know.
“They’ve all played top level football. You know you run a risk if you go into a Champions League game (on a booking) and if you get a card you miss the next game. You have to learn how to play a game with a yellow card hanging over your head.”
Clarke will give Dykes time but admitted the striker is touch and go – after getting crocked by Scotland team-mate Scott McKenna playing for QPR.
He said: “It was the game I watched him in against (Nottingham) Forest. A tackle with Scott McKenna. Picked up an injury.
“He played the next two games for QPR but it was never quite right and it’s just flared up a little.
“We will have a look at him in the morning and see how he is. But 50-50 is a fair call.”
A draw against the Danes would do the job but Clarke insisted he’s chasing all three points.
He said: “I think a point will be enough, but we don’t know, so it’s better just to win. If we beat Denmark, we know for sure we get the seeding.
“If we get the point, I’m pretty certain that will be enough to be seeded.”
Clarke is going all out for the win but admitted Denmark are top notch.
He said: “Look at the performance of Denmark in the Euros, when they took England all the way in the semis, it was a great achievement.
“They have a good depth of squad.
“They finished joint third in the Euros so they are one of the best sides in Europe. We respect that and we go out there to play as well as we can against them.”
Clarke has called in Hibs defender Ryan Porteous as cover for McTominay, who has a throat infection.
The Easter Road ace was a regular with the Under-21s but has yet to play for the senior squad.