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Rory McIlroy is ready to play in the Players' Championship later this week but will likely bypass playing a practice round as he battles injury - which threatens to derail his plans

Rory McIlroy is set to play in the Players' Championship later this week without playing a practice round as the defending champion looks to shake off injury issues - but plans are being made should he be a late withdrawal.

The Northern Irishman claimed the title at TPC Sawgrass last year, winning it for a second time, but his participation has been in doubt. McIlroy had to pull out of the recent Arnold Palmer Invitational, citing issues with his back.

McIlroy has continued to receive treatment and the Golf Channel reports that he's due to travel to Ponte Vedra Beach on Wednesday to begin his preparation. It does mean he may have to begin the first round without any major practice beforehand.

The Masters champion won last year's Players' in a play-off, downing JJ Spaun, but in the event that the defending champion is not present to defend his title then the PGA Tour has selected alternate and reserve players based on the current FedEx Cup rankings.

They announced on Monday that Patton Kizzire and Seamus Power had been named as the first two alternates for the 123-player field. It was initially a 120-player field, but Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour made it 121. Now that Kizzire and Power have been the tournament will feature 41 groups of three players.

The leading alternate is now up-and-coming American David Ford, who won the Haskins Award for the most outstanding collegiate player in 2025. Ford was top of the PGA Tour university standings in 2025 and has a PGA Tour card up until the end of 2026.

McIlroy said after withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational: "While warming up in the gym this morning, I felt a small twinge in my back. As I started hitting balls on the range before the round, it worsened and developed into muscle spasms in my lower back.

"Unfortunately, I’m not able to continue and have to withdraw. I was excited to compete this weekend. I wish the Arnold Palmer Invitational a great finish and look forward to being back next year."

In 2024 Scottie Scheffler became the first man ever to retain the Players. The likes of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are multiple winners, but had never gone back to back. That is the challenge facing McIlroy, who is less than a month out from returning to the Masters as defending champion.

If the Northern Irishman was successful in Florida he would, not only pocket an incredible £3.35m, but become only the second man after Nicklaus to win the championship on three occasions.

McIlroy is scheduled to tee off at 1.42pm local time on Thursday, as part of Featured Group alongside two-time major winner Xander Schauffele and 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama.