The bizarre injury that forced Michael van Gerwen to miss the most recent night of Premier League Darts action has now been revealed.
Three-time world champion Van Gerwen was due to face Gerwyn Price in his quarter-final on night nine in Berlin last Thursday but pulled out just minutes before the match got underway, with the Welshman given a bye straight to the semi-finals.
Remarkably, Stephen Bunting was ultimately victorious on the night, despite not having won a single match in the previous eight events, while Luke Littler is still in control at the top of the overall table.
And it has now come to light that Van Gerwen suffered a neck injury ahead of the event, which occurred in freak circumstances – namely when he was putting on a shirt.
"Michael hurt himself in the afternoon, it was really unfortunate," veteran darts player Vincent van der Voort, who is Van Gerwen's friend, told the Darts Draait Door podcast.
"He was trying on some shirts for his sponsor, and as soon as he put one on, he said something didn't feel right. He could barely move his neck.
“He went to a physiotherapist, had a massage, even took muscle relaxants. He gave it a go, but it just wasn't happening. We ended up going back to the hotel, packed up, and drove home. I was back home by 2am."
The injury went on to rule Van Gerwen out of the International Darts Open in Riesa and also dented his prospects of reaching the Premier League Play-Offs as he chases an all-important top-four spot.
The Dutchman is currently third in the table, just a point ahead of those chasing him, but he is fit to compete at night 10 in Manchester this evening, where he will hope to regain momentum.
He faces Chris Dobey in the quarter-finals, while local favourite Littler starts his quest for a fifth nightly win.
