Clarke had warned last month the lack of available goalkeepers was “probably an oversight” by the Scottish FA, but little did he know that his words would become so immediately prophetic.
Already unable to call up Craig Gordon, Zander Clark and Liam Kelly, he was shorn of Robby McCrorie when the Kilmarnock man pulled a thigh muscle in the warm-up on Friday before recalled former first-choice Angus Gunn twisted his ankle six minutes into the game at Hampden.
It is fair to say Cieran Slicker would not have been expecting to make his international debut – especially as the 22-year-old had only played 10 minutes for Ipswich Town last season and is still to make his league debut for the club.
His slack clearance almost immediately handed Iceland their opener and, while not the only culprit in Lewis Ferguson’s own goal, he was badly at fault for the third as a bad night for Scotland turned into a personal nightmare.
Clarke admitted tackling the depth of goalkeeping talent is “more for the long term”, but he desperately needs a short-term fix and is seeking to draft in “another goalkeeper in Scotland who’s not on holiday”, with Ross Doohan, who left Aberdeen last week, reportedly the frontrunner.
The head coach said Slicker had been thrust into a limelight “he wasn’t quite ready for” and former Scotland midfielder Michael Stewart says Clarke faces “a big call” should Gunn and McCrorie fail to recover in time.
“Do you stick with him and hope he can put in a performance that gives him some belief and feels like he’s capable, or do you go for damage limitation and recognise that Cieran Slicker is not really going to be playing for Scotland in the future?” he said on BBC Sportsound.
“I feel for Slicker. It’s a horrible situation to be in, but that is the ruthlessness of football at this top level, and it’s been exposed there badly.”
Perhaps it will not matter who is in goal considering Liechtenstein did not have any touches inside Wales’ penalty box – never mind an attempt on goal – in Friday’s 3-0 Nations League defeat in Cardiff.
Indeed, Monday’s hosts have only won one of their past 48 games – 1-0 in a friendly against Hong Kong in October – and have scored once in five defeats since a goalless draw with Gibraltar.