There are 19 former World Championship winners who are still alive, with 12 of them accepting their invitation to the Champions Dinner.

Reigning champion Kyren Wilson will be in attendance alongside the likes of Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis. But O’Sullivan is set to swerve the event. 

That’s despite the fact he is expected to feature in the Green Carpet ceremony on Friday, where the world’s top 16 players walk from the Winter Garden in the centre of Sheffield to the Crucible on a carpet that matches the colour of the green baize.

The 49-year-old is also due to undertake his media duties ahead of the tournament as he aims to win the crown for a record eighth time.

Ahead of the Dinner, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association explained that former champions had been invited to “share stories, relive tournament memories on and off the table, and celebrate their shared legacy as friends and rivals.”

Each of the attending champions will be presented with a unique black velvet champions jacket during the evening after the item was designed by McCann Bespoke in London.

A glass will also be raised to former champions who are no longer with us, with six-time winner Ray Reardon and 1979 champion Terry Griffiths sadly passing away last year.

Despite his absence from snooker over the last few months, O’Sullivan goes into the World Championship as one of the favourites.

And ahead of the tournament, 1997 champion Ken Doherty exclusively revealed to Express Sport: “You know what Ronnie’s like, he wants to keep everybody on their toes. He’ll leave it to the last minute, there's no doubt about that. That's what he does.

“It would be really disappointing if Ronnie pulled out at this late stage. Obviously with everything that would happen with the draw it would be disappointing to see that.”