I don’t know this engine access wise so cannot help with that but how about a gentle tweek with a small heel bar or screwdriver on the front crank pulley or is there any access around the flywheel area.There is only supposed to be a couple of thou clearance when new, my 1.4 Tdi was so badly worn the unworn thrust fell out and I had to be recovered.I have never had a clutch in any car I have had over many years so I wondered if the person that had the car before me got rid it for that reason, as the car cut out on an island just after I bought it, and then again just after I had got back from Germany.I couldn’t sus out the problem until my friendly local garage towed it in and found the problem.New thrust set only got the end float back to about 015” from memory,so the car had to go.(the crank end float had taken the crankshaft out of the range of the crank speed sensor, hence no injection.)