POOL fans are watching the return of the UK Open Championship - but football icon Troy Deeney will NOT be making a surprise appearance in this year's tournament.

Eklent Kaci is the reigning nine-ball champion after humiliating Joshua Filler 13-4 in last year's final.

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And the Albanian star will be desperate to retain his title once again at the first Matchroom Major event of the year.

Former footballer Deeney was expected to be a real dark horse following his wildcard entry for the competition - but the Watford hero was forced to pull out on the eve of the tournament after being rushed to hospital.

Find out all the information on the UK Pool Championship below.

When is the UK Open Pool Championship 2024?

• The UK Open Pool Championship 2024 started on Tuesday, May 7.
• It is scheduled to run for six days - concluding on Sunday, May 12.
• Telford International Centre is the allocated arena for this iconic tournament and it can host approximately 4,000 fans.
• Eklent Kaci beat Joshua Filler in last year's dominant final.

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How can I watch the UK Open Pool Championship 2024?

• Fans can watch the UK Open Pool Championship on TV via Sky Sports - but only the final two days (Saturday and Sunday).
• will also be streaming the entire tournament through any selected tablet or mobile device.
• Alternatively, SunSport will have frame-by-frame action through our rolling live blog.

What is the UK Open Pool Championship prize money 2024?

There will be a total prize pot of £160,000 with the winner taking home £24,000.

Here is the full breakdown:

• Winner: £24,000
• Runner-up: £12,000
• Semi-finalists: £7,600
• Quarter-finalists: £4,800
• Last-16: £3,200
• Last 32: £1,600
• Last 64: £800
• Last 128: £400

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What has been said?

Troy Deeney revealed he was "truly gutted" to have had to pull out of the event.

He wrote on social media: "A trip to A&E this morning has revealed I’ve got two dislocated knuckles and ligament damage in my hand after some boxing training this morning pre-event.

"I’m genuinely so frustrated as I was really looking forward to getting out there.

"Huge thank you to the World Nineball Tour and CueTec for the support in my preparation.

"And I wish everyone the best of luck at the tournament which I’m sure will be a huge success."