Martin Samuelsen has pulled out of international duty with Norway's under-21s due to illness as Burton Albion could are dealt another blow to an injury-hit squad.
Samuelsen was in line to make his seventh and eighth appearances for the Norwegians, who face Italy in a friendly later this week and Israel on Tuesday in a European Championships qualifying match.
But the West Ham loanee, who signed for the Brewers until the end of the season in January , has missed Albion's last couple of matches because of illness.
The winger struggled after coming on as a substitute against Bristol City earlier this month and looked off the pace, with Clough revealing he has been bothered by what could be a recurrence of existing issues.
"He hasn't gone (with Norway's under-21s)," Clough said of Samuelsen. "He still doesn't feel right."
"He's gone back down to West Ham to have some tests this week, and then we'll know a bit more later in the week."
Should Samuelsen have to return to the Hammers, it would underline Burton's bad luck with injuries and illness this season.
Albion currently have eight first-team players out, with a thin squad beset by injuries.
He would be the third player to return to his parent club because of injury or illness this season, with Joe Mason and Sean Scannell heading back to Wolves and Huddersfield Town in January.
So what are the chances of the 20-year-old turning out for the Brewers again this season?
"We're not sure," Clough replied. "He just hasn't felt right."
"He came in after one game and he came on against Bristol City and he didn't feel well after the game.
"So there's obviously something not quite right with him at the moment.
"He's had a few viruses in the past that have really knocked him sideways.
"At the start of the season he had a big throat infection which ended up in him having an operation.
"He had his tonsils out, so it could be a recurrence of something like that."
