BLACKBURN Rovers defender Shane Duffy’s chances of making the Republic of Ireland Euro 2016 squad have strengthened.

Martin O’Neill yesterday confirmed that Stoke City’s Marc Wilson has been ruled out of the tournament by a long-standing knee injury.

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And, with Reading’s Paul McShane and Alex Pearce having already been trimmed from the Ireland squad ahead of their friendly with the Netherlands in Dublin on Friday, along with Cardiff City’s Darwen-born midfielder Anthony Pilkington, Duffy now looks set to be on the plane for France.

“Marc Wilson has had a setback,” said Ireland boss O’Neill, who will name his 23-man Euros squad on Saturday.

“The best thing for him is to take four or five weeks off. He will be out.”

Wilson has not played a senior game for Stoke since damaging knee ligaments in January and limped out of a behind-closed-doors friendly last month.

He last played for Ireland as a substitute in the 1-1 play-off draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina in Zenica in November.

Duffy was named man of the match in the 1-0 win over Switzerland in Dublin in March.

It was the 24-year-old’s second cap for his country and his first since he signed for Rovers from Everton in September 2014.