‘Tartan Army have levels of endurance that are amazing. They’ll be behind us in March’

months, unaware of who their next game is against.

While the Scottish league has a winter break in January, and the Premier League in England for the first time has a unique split-week break of their own in February, it is almost impossible for Clarke to get his players together for a training camp.

While he would love none of his Scottish-based players to be involved the Sunday before in order to give him three clear training days, even such a modest request is fraught with political and logistical difficulties.

The best Clarke may be able to do is arrange a series of meetings with small groups of players, or maybe a series of phone calls.

“Could we do a get-together?” said Clarke. “I don’t think so because obviously we are spread across Scottish Premier League, Scottish Championship, English Championship, English League One, abroad – Spain. We are scattered all over so a get-together where everyone is there is almost impossible.

“Maybe the best thing will be for me to try to track down one or two at certain times and try to have a little chat with them. But that is all you are doing, having a chat.”

With Scotland scouting all of their potential play-off opposition in these games – the daunting prospect of Luka Jovic’s Serbia or Erling Braut Haaland’s Norway could wait in the final – at least Clarke could take a page out of Craig Levein’s book and pack his players off over the festive period with DVDs about their future opponents.

“We could well do that once we get an idea of who it’s going to be,” said Clarke. “We’ve got scouts out during this international break watching all the countries that we might play against, so that we have at least some match reports. We could probably put together DVDs and sent it to an extended squad – just in case they’re involved – and hope that they look at it!”

With Kieran Tierney the only man Clarke has yet to work with who is likely to come into contention during March, at least his players are starting to know what he expects from them. Ryan Porteous of Hibs is the only man in his first squad.

“I need to plan just now and think that it’s not about getting help,” said Clarke. “I’m going to have three training sessions to get them back on the bike and ready to go again. It’s not a lot but, on the back of what we’ve done previously, then I hope it will be enough.

“I would also point to the fact that this squad that is here now out of the 23 I have here, 22 of them have been in previous camps,” he added. “They should know what my mentality is, the message I am trying to get across.”

All of that can wait, though. At least for a few days. Because Clarke is not of a mind to downplay the importance of our Kazakhstan re-match tonight.

It isn’t so much a revenge mission for him – Alex McLeish was still in charge during the calamitous 3-0 defeat in Nursultan – as a chance to build momentum with a hat-trick of wins for the first time in two years and a chance break even with four wins and four defeats from his first eight games.

The team seems likely to be along similar lines to the one fielded in Cyprus, although Sheffield United’s John Fleck could come into contention in midfield. Kenny McLean returned to Norwich from the camp ahead of training yesterday at Oriam, with Lawrence Shankland departing the group through injury. Steven Naismith slipped to earth being withdrawn at the GSP stadium but will be fine to play his second match in four days.

“There’s no doubt it will help if we go in on the back of three wins,” said Clarke. “And every match for your country is important.

“I want my record as international manager to be better than it is.”