HUMPHRIES LIFTS LID ON INJURY SUSTAINED WHILE SLEEPING

LUKE HUMPHRIES says he will pack his own PILLOW for future tournaments after a trapped nerve in his neck caused major problems at the Grand Slam.

‘Cool Hand’ played through agonising pain in Wolverhampton, waking up on the morning of his Last-16 clash with Jurjen van der Velde unable to even lift his head off the hotel bed.

The Cheshire ace initially thought he was dealing with a back spasm, yet he still battled through the discomfort to reach the final, where he eventually lost 16-11 to Luke Littler.

Humphries has since revealed a physio told him he was actually suffering from possible nerve compression, prompting him to change the way he travels at events.

He told The Sun: “It’s a trapped nerve. I’ve got a really good physio, who works with a few boxers.

“He said it was a trapped nerve. He does a lot of things with muscles and stuff, touching this and that. I could feel it in my fingers.

“I’m a lot better now. My range of movement is much better.

“When you are a darts player, your body is not in a natural position. Maybe (massages) are something I will think about doing once a month, to relax the muscles a little bit.

“Because they can be a bit tense when you play darts.

“It was unfortunate timing really. I had a bit of a bad neck for a couple of days.

“It didn’t go away and then I woke up one morning and couldn’t get my head off the pillow. It’s something that anybody can get. You just have to do different things.

“Like take my pillow away to events. Little things like that to make sure it doesn’t recur.

“It’s twice it has happened to me now. It happened in Budapest as well, two years ago.

“If you can do little things to stop yourself getting aches and pains, then you would do it.”

World No2 Humphries is looking to win a THIRD successive Players Championship Finals title this weekend.

The eight-time major winner opens his campaign in Minehead on Friday evening against reigning European Champion Gian van Veen, a player he rates as one of the sport’s hottest threats.

He added: “I don’t think there’s many players that have won this tournament three times in a row, so hopefully I can create a bit more history this weekend.

“I’m feeling really confident. I know I’ve lost three major finals in a row, but when you’re playing well you always feel another chance is going to come around straight away.

“Gian is a potential winner of every tournament at the moment. He’s going to be a formidable force, but it’s up to me to stop him tomorrow.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.