World No. 2 Luke Humphries has pulled out of the European Championship through illness, hours before the tournament is due to begin.
Humphries, 31, has been diagnosed with gastroentiritis (intestinal infection), the PDC has said.
He was due to face Ryan Searle in his first-round match on Thursday evening but has now been replaced by Kim Huybrechts, the highest-ranked non-qualified players in this year's European Tour rankings, for the tournament in Dortmund, Germany.
Humphries was looking to win his first European Championship title after being beaten by Gian van Veen in the final of last year's event.
The Englishman won the Belgian Darts Open in March to help qualify for this week's finals.
'Cool Hand Luke' ended a barren spell of tournament victories by winning the World Grand Prix last month as he lifted a major trophy for the first time since becoming Premier League February 2025.
Humphries completed a stunning comeback from 3-0 down to beat Gerwyn Price 6-4 and win the Grand Prix title in Leicester.
His exit from the line-up helps open up the field for the other European Championship favourites, including Luke Littler who is seeking to lift the only major title that has eluded him so far in his career.
The 19-year-old will be braced for another hostile reception in Germany where he is regularly booed and whistled while playing. Littler is in a 'drought' by his standards, having failed to win the World Series of Darts Finals and the Grand Prix.
The European Championship is one of three major tournaments remaining -- along with the Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals -- before all eyes turn to Alexandra Palace and the World Championship.
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