An ankle injury could hinder Ronnie O’Sullivan’s chances at this year’s UK Championship.
O’Sullivan, who is due to kick off his bid for a fifth UK title against Daniel Wells on Thursday evening, posted an image of a swollen left ankle likely to have been sustained while running.
A keen middle-distance runner, O’Sullivan has suffered several injuries in recent years as a result of his daily training schedule.
The 38-year-old has cast doubt over his attendance in the sport’s second most prestigious tournament just days before he is due to make the trip to York.
The absence of the five-time world champion and snooker’s biggest box office name – who won this title in 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2007 – would be a huge blow to tournament sponsors Coral and his loyal band of fans around the world.
In his most recent Eurosport blog, O’Sullivan wrote: “I’ve had some magical moments at the UK, the greatest of which is probably winning my first ranking event against one of my heroes in Stephen Hendry.
“I’ve been lucky enough to win this event on four occasions. It is an event I love playing in, second only to the World Championship.”
O’Sullivan broke the news of his latest injury on Twitter but managed to see the funny side of the situation…
