Gerwyn Price, 39, ruled out of World Cup of Darts due to health issues in major blow to reigning champions Wales
GERWYN PRICE has been ruled out of the 2024 BetVictor World Cup of Darts due to health issues.
Last year Price and Jonny Clayton fired Wales to their second World Cup title after beating Scotland in the final.
Price, 39, had again been due to compete in the doubles event.
But the Welshman has since been ruled out of this weekend’s tournament in Frankfurt amid his ongoing back injury concerns.
Price underwent treatment on a trapped nerve last month and missed the Night 14 of Premier League darts.
Therefore Jim Williams will replace him and stand alongside Clayton on Friday.
Price said: “I’m massively disappointed that I’m having to miss the World Cup and I always love representing Wales.
“I wish Jonny and Jim Williams the best of luck and hopefully they can bring back the title again!”
Williams received the late call-up as the next highest-ranked Welsh player from the PDC Order of Merit.
He will make his World Cup debut with Wales remaining the second seeded nation.
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The top four ranked nations receive a bye through the first round, based on the lowest ranking of the two competing players.
Top seeds and four-time champions England will be represented by world champion Luke Humphries and Michael Smith.
Luke Littler will not feature because he is the 13th ranked Englishman in the rankings.
PDC Order of Merit - latest standings
1 Luke Humphries
2 Michael van Gerwen
3 Michael Smith
4 Gerwyn Price
5 Nathan Aspinall
6 Rob Cross
7 Dave Chisnall
8 Jonny Clayton
9 Peter Wright
10 Dimitri Van den Bergh
11 Damon Heta
12 Danny Noppert
13 Chris Dobey
14 Ross Smith
15 Joe Cullen
16 Stephen Bunting
17 Dirk van Duijvenbode
18 Josh Rock
19 Andrew Gilding
20 Ryan Searle
21 Gary Anderson
22 James Wade
23 Martin Schindler
24 Gabriel Clemens
25 Luke Littler
26 Krzysztof Ratajski
27 Brendan Dolan
28 Daryl Gurney
29 Raymond van Barneveld
30 Jose De Sousa
31 Scott Williams
32 Ricardo Pietreczko
33 Luke Woodhouse