Luke Humphries and Jonny Clayton have withdrawn from the European Darts Trophy in Gottingen, scheduled for March 13-15, 2026, dealing a blow to the event's star power. Humphries' withdrawal stemmed from a miscommunication, as his management indicated he would not compete, but this was not relayed to the PDC before the draw was announced. Under PDC rules, Karel Sedlacek directly replaces him and will enter on Saturday evening against either William O'Connor or Mensur Suljovic in Round Two.
Jonny Clayton's exit is due to a gout flare-up after winning Night 6 of the Premier League Darts 2026 in Nottingham on Thursday night. He expressed doubt about playing, stating, "I doubt I'll be in Gottingen tomorrow, to be honest, because the way it's feeling now, it’s no chance." He has been replaced from the reserve list by Cameron Crabtree, who faces Kevin Doets or Jonas Masalin.
With these withdrawals, Michael van Gerwen, Josh Rock, Stephen Bunting, and Gerwyn Price are now the leading lights for the weekend. Nathan Aspinall had previously exited the event prior to proceedings, as noted yesterday.
