CONSISTENCY, heaps of it, has been Eilidh Doyle’s calling card over a decade of prolific achievement, a spell which has brought over a dozen major medals on tracks far and wide.

A lack of injuries has been a decided blessing. Now one has arrived, it has felt a torturous curse. And the 31-year-old’s return to action in London yesterday following a first extended spell on the sidelines invited a dilemma as painful as her troublesome calf muscle with only days to jump one way or the other.

Seventh in the 400 metres hurdles at the Muller Anniversary Games, it was not so much the unsatisfactory time of 56.18 seconds that left Doyle deflated but the manner of her performance. Barely two weeks out from the European Championships, she needed hope more than anything and it was in pitiful supply.

At the second barrier, the lack of race practice saw her leap with the wrong leg, while the eighth received a ferocious collision. World champion Shamier Little scarpered to victory while the Scot was compelled to dig deep simply to follow the American home.

“This is where the injury is going to affect me, probably more than I realised,” she acknowledged. “I was sinking. Physically I’m not there. And the mental side was coming up because I’m not physically where I should be.”

Her past record will likely earn her a show of faith when British Athletics selectors convene tomorrow to finalise their squad for next month’s European Championships in Berlin. A gold medallist in 2014, Doyle dearly wished to regain her crown but the showpiece may come too soon.

On Wednesday, she will travel to Sweden for what should have been one last dress rehearsal but what will now become a final fitness test. Unless she feels fit and proper, it is probable she will sit out the Euros and instead look ahead to 2019.

“I’d expect to be running around 55 seconds if I was in shape,” she added. “That’s just telling me I’m not where I want to be at the moment. I’ll watch it back, see where I lost it and figure out what needs to be done over the next couple of weeks. But I’ll have to see what the next race brings because I don’t really want to go to the Europeans to run 56 seconds. I need to be quicker than this.”

Steph Twell, Doyle’s long-time room-mate on trips abroad, had a simpler last rehearsal before Berlin with the 2016 European bronze medallist coming sixth in the 3000m.

“There was lots to play for,” the 28-year-old said. “I wanted to be in touch with the race and I wasn’t and that was a little demoralising. But I can turn things around.”

Shara Proctor looks close to her best form in the long jump with the UK record holder leaping a season’s best of 6.91m to triumph three cent-imetres ahead of Lorraine Ugen with the pair now providing a potential British 1-2 at the Europeans.

“I’ve been patient and waiting for this moment all season,” she said. “I’ve been consistent but not at the level I wanted so this was a move in the right direction.”

Her fellow Anguillan, Zharnel Hughes ran 9.93 secs in the 100m to come second behind American Ronnie Baker, solidifying his status as Europe’s No 1 following the late withdrawal of British rivals CJ Ujah and Reece Prescod.

“I know these guys will be ready for the European Champs, same as I will,” he vowed. “We’re going to go there and give a great performance.”

Elsewhere, Paralympic champion Libby Clegg won the T11 200m in 25.29 seconds in preparation for the European Para Championships with Stef Reid also in fine form, winning the T44 long jump with a season’s best of 5.55m.

Tom Bosworth, meanwhile, picked up £11,000 for lowering the 3000m race walk world record to 10:43.84.

This afternoon, Laura Muir will attempt to surpass the British mile record of 4:17.57 set in 1985 by Zola Budd but the Scot insisted Russia’s Svetlana Masterkova’s world record, set 22 years ago, will survive.

“It is physically possible in terms of what I have done but it would be very, very difficult,” she said.