Stephen Ward a doubt for last 16 clash with France

Stephen Ward is an early doubt for Ireland's game against France on Sunday with the left back having picked up an ankle injury early in the win over Italy but manager Martin O'Neill hopes that he and Jon Walters might recover in time for the game in Lyon.

“Stephen picked up an injury in the first half and his ankle is well blown up at the moment,” he said “but he’s desperate to play and we’ll have a look at him.

“Jon Walters is trying to get fit too and it would nice to have him available but I won’t now that until tomorrow.

“We’ll have to look at energy levels overall,” he said, though. “I’m sure James McClean could sleep for a week after the effort he put in last night so let’s see how energy levels are first before we talk too much about Sunday.”

Having played on Sunday, when they drew with Switzerland, the hosts have had three days to recover from their final group game and O’Neill acknowledged that the additional break provided them with an advantage.

"It does seem a disproportionate amount of time that one team has to recover over another and that might become important but I do understand that as the host nation you should get some sort of favours and if the tournament was in Ireland then I would do the same thing; if the tournament was in Ireland, the other teams would have to play every night and Ireland wouldn't have to play for a year."

Clearly tired after what he said had been a late night – the squad returned to Versailles immediately after the game – and then early start, O’Neill said that having given the players a day off to spend some time with his family, the real work on preparing for Sunday’s game will start tomorrow.

“The first thing to say is that France have individual talent that is mesmerising, some very good players. Kante in the middle has had a sensational season, Pogba is a very good player and I assume that they will have the vast majority of the tickets so it will be a tough afternoon but we are ready for it.

“We would have to play in the manner that we did last night; with the same confidence and intensity but if we can do that then we can cause them problems.

The FAI, meanwhile, has confirmed that the “vast majority” of tickets for the game in Lyon are already in French hands.

“The problem is that the game against the hosts,” said association communications director Ian Mallon, “and many of the tickets were sold a long time ago.

“Around 3,500 tickets had been sold to Irish fans through the Uefa portal before the tournament began and we have got an additional 1,000 plus John Delaney has now secured an extra 104 but the clamour for tickets has been unbelievable and while we will try to satisfy it as best we can. It’s going to be very difficult.”