2005 Fiesta Gearbox/Clutch Issues

[MattMoore]

Evening all,

GF has a problem with her Fiesta. All of a sudden its getting increasingly difficult to get it into gear, is definite notches as the gear lever is pushed into gear instead of being a smooth transition. There is also a quiet rubbing/tapping noise when the clutch is pressed down. I've been searching online for the past hour and it seems a more common problem than I would have expected, but with lots of answers.

First port of call tomorrow is to check the gearbox oil, as leaking seems common resulting in notchy gear changes.
Im currently thinking it could be the gear box cable which needs changing, but I've also just looked up about the thrust release bearing, and this fits in with the characteristics of the problem.
Shes sending it to a garage, and i want her to have an idea of what to ask then to look for. I would go with her but I have work commitments. If she cant get it into a garage before the weekend, how much damage could be done?

Any other possibilities?

cheers

Matt