Belgium and Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has said he will miss Euro 2016 with a thigh injury sustained against Real Madrid earlier this week.
Kompany lasted only a few minutes of City's Champions League semi-final second leg in Madrid on Wednesday before he went down with a thigh problem and was forced off.
It was the latest in a line of frustrating muscle injuries for Kompany, who missed large parts of City's stuttering season with calf problems.
Ireland meet Belgium in the second group game on 18 June.
kompany wrote on the social media site: "I'll miss the Euros. To me that's very sad news.
"So I could be standing here, feeling sorry for myself. I could fear for my career, as others may do. I could give up.
"That is not me. I decide on my future .There is a bigger picture to everything in life and only failing to see it, will cause me to fail.
"I am a hard worker and a fighter and if you are too, then you know that, to people like us, success can come in many forms. We trust ourselves when the going gets tough.
"I have the greatest respect for those who overcome their personal challenges in life with a positive attitude.
"I want to live up to that. So I remain calm and positive. I will continue to follow my path and I will do so with more conviction than ever.
"I trust my friends and teammates to do well and do us proud at the next European Championships in France. I am now officially their most fervent supporter and I will be there to support them.
"Written from my hospital bed.
"Never giving up."
Elsewhere, Italy will have to wait on an update from Manchester United after defender Matteo Darmian was stretchered off with an ankle injury early in their 1-0 win over Norwich.
Last week both Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio were ruled out through injury.
Ireland face Italy in their final group game on 22 June.
