Following an extended series of health problems, the fact that Eilish McColgan came within two seconds of obtaining her target of qualifying for the European Championships while competing at the Diamond League in Glasgow on Saturday should have felt like a victory in the 3000-metre steeplechase rather than a more sobering 12th-place finish.

A heart murmur has been controlled but her ambitions remain boundless. "If two months ago someone had said to me: 'Oh, don't worry, you'll get down to running 9:44s and you'll feel good doing it,' I'd have taken it," she reflected. "But to be just outside that qualifying mark? I couldn't be any more gutted."

When British Athletics' selection panel meet today to finalise their squad for Zurich, an exception would need to be made if the UK champion is to receive an invite. If her personal appeal is rejected then the Scot will move into the final phase of her preparations for the Commonwealth Games by attending a Scottish Athletics training camp in Kilmarnock. There she will be assisted by her mother and coach Liz Lynch, who has flown in from Qatar to oversee the revisions personally.

Their separation has had some impact, despite McColgan's application to her prescribed regime. "She has never had to be concerned with that, but it does become difficult because of illness," the 23-year-old said.

"If she can see me and see that I'm very tired, or that I've got a cold, she can tell me to cut it down from a bulk session to a shorter session, or maybe cross train or head for a jog. It's difficult when she can't see me as she doesn't know how ill I am.

"During my periods of illness it was constant fatigue, a week when I felt fine, then a cold or a virus. It was more difficult for her to tell me to train through it and then say that maybe we should rest. Had I not been ill, we would not have had any issues. When things are bad you notice all the small things, so I'm happy we'll have 10 full days to really pull things together."

Yet McColgan, currently a nomad with only a temporary base in Loughborough, has admitted for the first time that some additional hands-on help may be needed to plug the gaps on a day-to-day basis. Jon Bigg, the former athlete who now coaches the likes of Mukhtar Mohammed and Michael Rimmer, has emerged as the prime contender to provide some secondary assistance.

"It's the small things, setting out hurdles, timing reps and recoveries because it's difficult to do all that on my own as I don't have a training group or training partners," she said. "In Loughborough it's difficult to find training partners as they have their own seasons to focus on and agendas, but hopefully someone will start helping me."

It is likely that just five Scots will travel to Zurich, with Eilidh Child, Beth Potter, Lynsey Sharp and Laura Muir all automatic selections for the competition. The latter has now accepted that she will compete only in the 1500m having come ninth in the 800m at Hampden, three places behind Sharp and outside the required standard.

Muir has medal aspirations at her best distance but she will not merely write off the shorter test. "I know I can go much faster but until I do it, I won't really be sure," she said.

Chris O'Hare will wait anxiously by the phone to find out if he is given the third discretionary slot in the British squad over 1500m but the world finalist delivered a compelling case for inclusion with a personal best of 3:35.06 in fifth place. He finished one spot ahead of fellow Edinburgh athlete Jake Wightman.

His preparation had been disrupted by a hamstring problem and O'Hare was spent by the end and in physical pain. The exertions were worth it, though. "It all goes to show I'm in a lot better shape," he said.

Meanwhile, Paralympic medallist Libby Clegg produced a season's best of 12.40 seconds in the 100m and was one of a number of competitors at Hampden - including David Rudisha, who was victorious in the 800m - to get a feel for the place before they return later this month for the Commonwealth Games. "Now we know what to expect," said the Scot.

High jumper Ray Bobrownicki is also Hampden-bound but could be summoned for the Europeans too after jumping a Scottish record of 2.28m in Grangemouth yesterday, matching the Zurich standard.