With Elliot out of the picture, his place must surely go to Wednesday’s Westwood

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Newcastle’s Rob Elliot has been ruled out of Euro 2016, leaving Sheffield Wednesday’s Keiren Westwood in line for a recall – or not.

As one door closes for Rob Elliot another is creaking open for Keiren Westwood – in theory.

Westwood’s Euro 2016 hopes looked to have ended after Martin O’Neill snubbed the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper in favour of Newcastle’s Elliot, West Ham number 2 Darren Randolph and David Forde, of League One Millwall, for Ireland’s March friendlies.

But after Elliot was ruled out for six months with a knee injury, could the 31-year-old be France-bound after all?

Even with this writer’s rose-tinted spectacles removed for a second, Westwood should be going regardless.

Despite missing 10 Championship matches through injury this season, the Owls’ number 1 has still appeared more frequently than any of his three main rivals – and at the top end of a higher division than Forde.

Even when Randolph was playing regularly for Birmingham last season, Westwood proved himself as a far more reliable option of the three – going fewer minutes without a clean sheet or error leading to goal.

It’s not like the others are more experienced internationals either – Westwood (18) has more caps than Elliot and Randolph combined (13), and only five fewer than Forde, who’s five years his senior.

His omission makes little sense whichever way you look at it – unless he did something unthinkable to O’Neill at Sunderland.

Though the circumstances aren’t ideal, Westwood is surely in line for a call-up now.

Mind you, knowing his luck, his place will go to Shay Given instead.