Ali Carter faces a race against time to be fit for his Ronnie O’Sullivan grudge match at this year’s World Championship. The blockbuster clash was the highlight of yesterday’s live Crucible draw with the Essex pair set to resume their bitter feud on the game’s grandest stage. Qualifier Carter, who has twice lost in world finals to the seven-time champion, has been a pain in the Rocket’s bum over the years.

But now the world No.18 has a pain in the neck and has headed home to get emergency treatment over the Easter weekend before returning for his hotly-anticipated showdown with O’Sullivan on Tuesday. When asked about the prospect of drawing his nemesis prior to the draw, Carter replied: “No comment.” But on his nightmare injury, he said: “I really couldn’t tell you how it happened. 

"It just came on to the extent where I literally had a coffee one morning. I literally couldn’t move my neck at all. I couldn’t do anything. It impacts my sleep. It's terrible. I have hardly slept for three days. 

“Honestly. It was like someone giving you a Chinese burn but on your neck.  I lay that way. I lay this way trying to get comfortable. I will go and see someone when I get back. I have a few days to myself. I will get someone on the firm, don’t worry. 

“Honestly, as you all know, I have been through a lot in my life, this pain was the most excruciating pain I have ever felt.  My mate drove me to the qualifiers and every time we went over a bump, I was going Aaargh! 

“I had already written this World Championship off to be honest with you.  It is amazing, when you take the pressure off yourself what can happen. Last year I put all the pressure on myself and I played like a muppet there. We will just see what happens.”

The explosive rivalry hit the headlines during the 2018 World Championship with the “barge-gate” incident when the Rocket shoulder barged his old foe.

And tensions boiled over after their 2024 Masters final when O’Sullivan labeled his rival a “f***ing nightmare” in an expletive-laden rant after Carter accused him of “snotting all over” the Ally Pally floor. O’Sullivan has since admitted he regrets the saga and called it “heat of the moment stuff”. 

The Rocket’s Carter showdown will be his first competitive match since he “lost the plot” and snapped his cue in frustration at the Champions League in January. 

World No.5 O’Sullivan snubbed last night's inaugural Masters-style Champions’ Dinner, where 12 of the 19 living Crucible champions accepted their invites. But the Rocket is expected to land in Sheffield today for the Green Carpet ceremony and pre-tournament media day.

There is a record number of 10 Chinese players at this year’s event, which blows away the six who were there in 2019. Daniel Wells, Zak Surety and Lei Peifan will all be making their debuts.

Zhao Xintong, who is returning to the sport after his 20-month ban for betting offences, is only the third amateur to play at the Crucible after James Cahill in 2019 and Michael White in 2022. Xintong, who was world No.9 at the time of his suspension, has won four qualifying matches to secure his spot.