Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill was downcast on the prospect of Jon Walters featuring in Saturday afternoon’s Euro 2016 encounter against Belgium in Bordeaux.

The Stoke striker limped out of Ireland’s 1-1 draw against Sweden on Monday after having battled to recover from an Achilles problem.

Indeed, the 32-year-olds focus may already have shifted to playing some part in the final group game against Italy in Lille next Wednesday.  

Speaking at Ireland’s press conference this morning, O’Neill admitted: “He’s going to be struggling for the game.

“He thinks that if he doesn’t make this game, he’s hoping that he should maybe make it for the Italian game.

“There would have to be a lot of improvement for him to come through and be ready for it (Belgium match).

“If the game was tomorrow he wouldn’t make it.”

Pressed on how a likely enforced change could alter his starting line-up for the Group E clash with Belgium, O’Neill opted to lighten the mood, while also remaining tight-lipped.

“There may be some people in this room that are not our friends,” he quipped.

The Kilrea man expects the much-vaunted Red Devils to step forward markedly after Italy inflicted a 2-0 defeat on them in their opener.    

“When the group was announced in the first place, I think that Belgium finishing any worse than second is not something that they would be contemplating,” he said.

“So they will be coming out all guns blazing.   

“We have to deal with that. We have to deal with individual threats from them which they’ve got in abundance, and we’ll have to show the same sort of attitude again.  

“We have to go and compete, and go and be strong and confident, get on the ball. If that game against Sweden doesn’t give you a lift, nothing will.”

O’Neill opined that a dearth of star men meant that Ireland’s attitude would have to be faultless against Belgium.

“There are teams in this competition that can go through a 15, 20, 25-minute spell and not do as well as you would expect them to do, but because they’re very good sides, because they’ve got certain talent that can go and win a game for them, they can come through that.

“We don’t have that luxury, so we have to be really at it."

Returning to the wellbeing of Walters and the fitness level of a number of other Ireland players, a prescient O’Neill added: “I knew that he’d last a certain length of time, but I knew also at the time that he probably would be really feeling the effects of it.

“So would a couple of other players, not necessarily with injuries.

“Little Wes Hoolahan gesticulated that he had run his course, which I expected.

“Two or three players have not played much and all of that there was going to take effect roughly about the time that Sweden scored the goal, which I knew in advance.”

O’Neill concluded his press conference by indicating that a hurt Walters wouldn’t be pressurised into action, but that player may end up as a master of his own destiny and could be afforded a significant say in whether he features against Italy.

“Risking John - if you’re talking about risking a serious injury for someone - I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t contemplate that. He’s got a career ahead of him.  

“But if he felt he was capable of playing - and only he would say it: ‘Listen, I can do the same again in the Italian game’ - I would certainly be considering that.”