Kilmarnock boss Steve Clarke claims excess hysteria surrounded Alan Power's challenge on Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack, but admits his player could have been sent off.

The Killie midfielder was booked by referee Alan Muir in last week's goalless William Hill Scottish Cup tie against the Ibrox side at Rugby Park after catching Jack on the face with his boot as he went up for a header.

Gers manager Steven Gerrard would not be drawn on the incident afterwards but did say, "I'll be interested to see if there's a citing", although in the event no further action was taken against Power.

Ahead of the Ladbrokes Premiership game against Celtic at Rugby Park on Sunday, Clarke, who has recently called for more consistency over decisions and the disciplinary process, said: "Someone said he could have knocked Ryan Jack's eye out.

"I googled it. Nobody has ever lost an eye from a high boot on a football pitch, so the hysteria can die down.

"It was an incident that was dealt with on the pitch at the time by the referee.

"I have to be honest the referee could have gone yellow or red. Fortunately for us he went yellow and the decision dealt with it.

"It (the hysteria) was a little bit over the top. It was quite a hefty challenge that got Alan Power a big thump on the head. No one cried about that, so it was a little bit over the top."

Clarke refused to be drawn too much on the issue of artificial pitches, which reared its head again this week when the players' union, PFA Scotland, submitted a petition to the Scottish Professional Football League calling for action on artificial surfaces and the general standard of all pitches in the Scottish game.

Every player in the Ladbrokes Premiership – aside from those at Hamilton, Kilmarnock and Livingston, the top-flight clubs who currently have an artificial pitch – has signed the petition. In the other divisions, every club representative has signed on behalf of his team-mates.

Killie will lay a new artificial pitch in the summer and previously Clarke had said that, "economically it's the best thing for the club".

The former West Brom boss said: "I spoke about plastic pitches earlier in the season and said all I need to say really.

"I don't need to get involved in the discussion, same as our players weren't asked to be involved in it. Why should I need to be involved?

"What we will do is follow the rules that are in place, that's what we will do."

Killie striker Mikael Ndjoli, on loan from Bournemouth, said of the issue: "It is down to the players.

"I don't mind it to be fair. It is just about adjusting your game.

"We play on artificial pitches all week and then we have to play on grass and adjust to that."