World number two Luke Humphries has been forced to pull out of the European Championship in Germany due to gastroenteritis. The withdrawal comes as a significant blow, with Humphries having been in strong form, arriving at the tournament on the back of winning the World Grand Prix and then reaching the final of the Swiss Darts Trophy, where he lost to Jonny Clayton.
Kim Huybrechts will step in as Humphries' replacement. The Belgian earns his spot as the highest-ranked player from the 2026 European Tour rankings who had not already qualified. Huybrechts will now face Ryan Searle in the first round when the European Championship begins in Dortmund on Thursday.
The opening night's action features eight matches, including a blockbuster clash between Gerwyn Price and Rob Cross, while defending champion Gian van Veen takes on Andrew Gilding. Other first-round ties include Luke Woodhouse against Dirk van Duijvenbode, Danny Noppert versus Stephen Bunting, Niels Zonneveld facing Cameron Menzies, James Wade against Damon Heta, and Ross Smith taking on Karel Sedlacek.
World number one and PDC world champion Luke Littler will begin his campaign on Friday with a match against William O'Connor. The tournament, held in Dortmund, runs with first-round matches starting at 18:00 BST on Thursday.
