I'm blessed with Fidanza replacable flywheel surface inserts, but it's never a bad idea to replace/resurface your flywheel while you're down there. I don't want to be the one to say 'yeah go ahead and let them pull your tranny and take a peek' because I KNOW it's an expensive job, and I don't want to take that gamble for your sake.

If the mechanic mentioned slave rod not engaged fully, you absolutely could try the extended slave rod. That's a much cheaper fix than a new clutch. Can do that yourself

P.S. The same mechanical logic works between cars, regardless of brand. They all for the most part work the same way.