Michael van Gerwen will miss the 2022 World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt in order to undergo arm surgery.
'Mighty Mike' has been in resurgent form this year, finishing second in the Premier League table with three event wins to his name. It means he's qualified for finals night in Berlin on June 13, and will face Joe Cullen in his semi-final as he bids to win the tournament for the sixth time.
He has also notched three European Tour events and two Players Championships, bouncing back from a disappointing World Championships where he was forced to withdraw with Covid-19. However, the 33-year-old has now revealed he's been playing through the pain of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in his throwing arm.
And just a day after the Premier League play-offs, the Dutchman will have surgery to address the problem. It means he will miss the Players Championship double-header in Niedernhausen and then the World Cup from June 16-19, but home fans will hope to see him appear at the Dutch Darts Masters in Amsterdam later that month.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the three-time world champion said: "For some time now I have been experiencing a tingling sensation in my throwing hand and arm. Following medical assessment, I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
"I have been receiving treatment for a while in order to ease the symptoms, enabling me to continue to play to a good level. However, it has become clear that I will require an operation for this problem to go away permanently.
"This operation will take place on 14 June, following the Premier League Play-Offs. Unfortunately, this means I will be unable to play in Players Championships 16 and 17 [double header] and the World Cup of Darts."
Van Gerwen insisted his timing was right, and outlined his intention to be back to full fitness for the World Matchplay in Blackpool, which starts on July 16. "It is disappointing to miss the World Cup, but myself, my management, family and medical advisors agree that it is the right time to fix the problem," he continued.
"I will make decisions on other events in June and July based on how my recovery progresses. It is my goal to be back to 100% ahead of the World Matchplay."
The absence of Van Gerwen at the World Cup is a huge blow to the Netherlands, who were looking to make amends for their quarter final defeat last year. Then, Van Gerwen and Dirk van Duijvenbode were beaten by eventual winners Scotland - represented by Peter Wright and John Henderson.
His place will now be taken by Danny Noppert. The English pairing of James Wade and Michael Smith will go in as the top seeds, ahead of Welsh pairing Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price.
And after thanking those around him for their "support and understanding", Van Gerwen wished his teammate, and new replacement, well. "I would also like to wish the Netherlands team the best of luck at the World Cup of Darts," he added.
