Irvine finished as runner-up in the 49 kilograms competition in Baku four years ago, losing to Russia's Bator Sagaluev in the final.

He also has a Commonwealth Games silver medal, earned last year representing Northern Ireland in Gold Coast.

Irvine suffered the injury while sparring in training and is expected to be out of action for up to eight weeks, as reported by The Irish News.

Eleven Irish boxers will now compete here in Minsk, with the team further depleted by Joe Ward recently turning professional.

Rio 2016 Olympic judoka Ben Fletcher has withdrawn through injury, while Derek Burnett has been added to the shooting team.

The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) is now sending 63 Irish athletes to compete across nine sports in total, with Chloe Magee set to be the flagbearer at Friday's (June 21) Opening Ceremony. 

The three-times Olympian will be aiming to upgrade her badminton mixed doubles bronze medal from the 2015 edition of the Games in Baku, which she won alongside brother Sam. 

The Opening Ceremony at the Dinamo Stadium in the Belarus capital will be preceded by the start of action in the archery, 3x3 basketball and boxing.

Competition in 15 sports will continue until June 30.

The OFI has also been making headlines away from the sporting arena after former President Pat Hickey was invited to attend the European Games by the European Olympic Committees (EOC), an organisation which Hickey also used to lead.

Hickey self-suspended himself from all sporting roles after being arrested on ticket scalping charges while at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, with the EOC's invitation questioned by OFI President Sarah Keane and chief executive Peter Sherrard.

The EOC claimed that they had invited all former Presidents and did not want to treat Hickey differently, however.