PETER WRIGHT has declared himself fit to face Diogo Portela in the William Hill World Darts Championship on Thursday night.
The world number two had been a doubt for the tournament after being rushed to hospital on Thursday November 30 with suspected gallstones.
He cancelled a series of planned exhibition appearances in early December and has since been recuperating at home in Suffolk.
Scans have confirmed that he has three gallstones, but Wright's health has improved sufficiently for him to take part in the World Championship, beginning his challenge against Brazilian debutant Diogo Portela.
"I'll be playing on Thursday and I can't wait to get back to Ally Pally," said the UK Open champion. "I'm feeling totally fine in many ways, and I'm rested.
"I'm still waiting to hear back from the doctors following my scan and it might be that I need some further treatment in the next few weeks, but I've done everything I can to recover so far.
"I've been eating really healthily, getting lots of rest, taking the medication and doing all the right things, and it's all looking good.
"I've lost almost two stones in weight and I'm feeling okay for that, and I'll keep doing the right things during the tournament until I hear what the doctors have planned."
He added: "There was a chance I would have pulled out of the World Championship.
"The pain was really bad when I went into hospital, and if I'd had to have had an operation then I would have pulled out because my health's more important.
"But it's great that I can play against Diogo on Thursday and I want to do my best to win this title now."
The illness has forced Wright to tone down his usual practice regime, but the Scottish World Cup star is hoping that a change to his usual routine will pay off at Alexandra Palace.
"I've been doing some practising but nowhere near what I'd normally be doing ahead of the World Championship," added Wright, a World Championship semi-finalist last year.
"Fortunately the schedule had come out and I was on the last day of the first round, so I've had a week longer than I might have had to recover.
"I had a couple of weeks of doing nothing, but I'm mentally fresh, which is the most important thing.
"My mental state is great. You can over-practice and then analyse too much, and that can put too much pressure on you, which I've done before.
"I've got my head correct, the right set-up of my darts and my target is to have the highest average of the first round!"