Michael van Gerwen could miss the Premier League Darts on Thursday, where he is set to face off against Luke Littler, due to a health problem.
The governing body issued a statement following consultation with Van Gerwen’s management: “Michael has a medical issue and is awaiting results of tests which will determine whether he can travel to Glasgow.”
The world No 4 currently leads the Premier League standings and was scheduled to meet world champion Luke Littler in what promised to be a blockbuster quarter-final encounter.
Should Van Gerwen be unable to compete, Littler would automatically progress to the semi-finals.
Vincent van der Voort, the former professional and close friend of Van Gerwen, first raised concerns about the situation on the Darts Draait Door podcast in the Netherlands.
He said: “Unfortunately, we still don’t know for sure if Michael will play.
“He’s picked something up and is on antibiotics.
“I can’t say yet that he’ll be there.”
Michael van Gerwen could miss the Premier League Darts on Thursday
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He added: “We’ll have to wait and see over the coming days.
“Tests are being done, and I hope they find it quickly so it can be resolved.
“There’s a chance he won’t be there. Everything is uncertain for now.
“Every time you think it’s turning the right way, something happens again.”
Van Gerwen claimed victory on the Premier League’s opening night in Newcastle
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The potential absence comes at a particularly inopportune moment for the three-time world champion, who has enjoyed an impressive resurgence in recent weeks.
Van Gerwen claimed victory on the Premier League’s opening night in Newcastle.
He then reached the final in Antwerp, where he fell to Gerwyn Price.
His form on the ProTour has been equally encouraging, with a semi-final and quarter-final appearance at the first two Players Championship events of the season.
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The Dutchman also lifted the Bahrain Masters trophy earlier this year, suggesting he had turned a corner following a difficult 2025 campaign both on and off the oche.
Despite his recent difficulties, he is a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the titles in 2014, 2017, and 2019.
Van Gerwen held the world No 1 ranking for an incredible seven consecutive years between 2014 and 2021.
He burst onto the scene as a teenage prodigy, becoming the youngest person to win a major darts title when he won the World Masters in 2006 at age 17.
