Crossword Genius

Air in small coach (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

strain

'air' is the definition.
(I know that air can be written as strain)

'small coach' is the wordplay.
'small' becomes 's' (abbreviation - e.g. clothes size).
'coach' becomes 'train' (both can mean to instruct a sportsperson).
's'+'train'='STRAIN'

'in' is the link.

(Other definitions for strain that I've seen before include "Screen" , "Injure (a muscle); distinct breed" , "Pull (a muscle?)" , "Filter - intense effort" , "Family - tension" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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