Martin O'Neill's reaction may suggest otherwise, but Albion's record buy Shane Duffy is set to be a key figure for club and country for years to come.

The Republic of Ireland chief took Duffy's absence from tonight's World Cup qualifying collision with Wales in his stride on discovering Duffy would be missing with a broken foot.

Duffy said: "The manager rang me the night before the op. He didn't even know, he just checked the TV. He obviously wasn't fazed!"

Duffy will, nevertheless, be missed both by Albion and Ireland.

Some would argue the 25-year-old from Derry should have been included in the Championship team of the season next to Dunk, possibly even instead of him, such has been the impressive scale of his recovery from an own goal and red card-riddled end to his career with Blackburn Rovers at the outset.

Duffy's partnership at international level with Ciaran Clark, 27, his close friend from promotion rivals Newcastle United, promises to serve the Republic well into the future.

Clark is missing too from this evening's sell-out against the Welsh at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin with a medial knee ligament injury.

The pair were on opposite sides for a big occasion at the Amex last month. It hurts Duffy that they cannot, for now, be on the same side for their country.

"It's disappointing," he said. "It's a huge game. I didn't know if I was going to play, but even to be involved in it, Ireland v Wales, especially how well the teams have done recently.

 

"If I let it affect me I'll be down, so I can't really. I've just got to try and focus on six weeks down the line. Hopefully I can be back playing and back to where I was."

The centre of defence is an ageing department for O'Neill. John O'Shea is 35, former Albion loan signing Paul McShane 31, Richard Keogh 30.

By next season, Duffy could be a Premier League player with Albion and helping Ireland on the road to Russia 2018.

Albion boss and former Republic full-back Chris Hughton (below) told The Argus: "I hope so. It seems a good time for him, when I look at some of the established centre-halves over the years that have served the team really well.

The Argus: "He's somebody that has played more and more of late and I'm hoping it's a really good time and period for him.

"I think it's exciting times with the Republic side, with the management team they've got and the group of players they've got.

"It's always going to be more difficult, because you are up against nations that have top Premier League players.

"The Irish team has always been very much built on that team spirit as well.

"I'm very much hoping it's exciting times for him on the international scene and, if that is the case, we will certainly benefit from that."