Draw Players Championship 19 headlined by Van Gerwen, Wright, Van den Bergh and Bunting

Starting at 1 p.m., the nineteenth Players Championship tournament of the year gets underway in Milton Keynes. The 128-strong field of participants features a depleted field with many top names deciding against playing.

Michael van Gerwen will lead the way as the top name. He makes his return for the first time since dental surgery and he has been out since the World Matchplay until yesterday. He faces Karel Sedlacek.

Peter Wright is also involved, as is Dimitri van den Bergh and Stephen Bunting. Damon Heta sealed the first title of the week yesterday by defeating Ryan Searle in the final with both being ProTour standouts. Dave Chisnall is top seed today.

Luke Littler has decided against playing this week, the same can be said for Luke Humphries and most of the World Series contingent aside from Heta, Van den Bergh, Whitlock and Wright. The Aussie in particular said after his win that if he didn't come it could be a title that he might win and he doesn't have time to lose.

Others involved have money to defend such as Wright so in reality it is no shock to see them involved. While others such as Michael Smith instead are spending a month or so off the oche in order to recoup with majors coming thick and fast towards the end of the year.

A total of 125,000 pounds in prize money is distributed at each Players Championship tournament. The winner of the event will receive a check for 15,000 pounds.

Dave Chisnall - | - Jurjen van der Velde

Justin Hood - | - Jose De Sousa

Dimitri Van den Bergh - | - Stefan Bellmont

Andy Boulton - | - Chris Landman

Raymond van Barneveld - | - Dom Taylor

Brett Claydon - | - Christian Perez

Krzysztof Ratajski - | - Mensur Suljovic

Vincent van der Voort - | - Geert Nentjes

Martin Schindler - | - Ryan Meikle

Franz Roetzsch - | - Owen Roelofs

James Wade - | - Jules van Dongen

Adam Hunt - | - Ian White

Chris Dobey - | - Niels Zonneveld

Rowby-John Rodriguez - | - Jelle Klaasen

Luke Woodhouse - | - Michele Turetta

Andy Baetens - | - Jamie Atkins

Damon Heta - | - Pascal Rupprecht

Jim Williams - | - Matthew Dennant

Dirk van Duijvenbode - | - Boris Krcmar

Berry van Peer - | - Maik Kuivenhoven

Daryl Gurney - | - Arron Monk

Keegan Brown - | - John Henderson

Mike De Decker - | - Cam Crabtree

Wessel Nijman - | - George Killington

Danny Noppert - | - Joshua Richardson

Scott Williams - | - Madars Razma

Kevin Doets - | - Stephen Burton

Steve Beaton - | - Callum Goffin

Ricardo Pietreczko - | - Robbie Knops

Richie Burnett - | - Mervyn King

Brendan Dolan - | - Martijn Dragt

Lee Evans - | - Josh Payne

Ross Smith - | - Benjamin Reus

Matt Campbell - | - Graham Hall

Jermaine Wattimena - | - Robert Grundy

Christian Kist - | - Rhys Griffin

Ryan Joyce - | - James Hurrell

William O'Connor - | - Lukas Wenig

Peter Wright - | - Adam Warner

Martin Lukeman - | - Simon Whitlock

Stephen Bunting - | - Adam Gawlas

Jeffrey De Graaf - | - Jamie Hughes

Andrew Gilding - | - Dylan Slevin

Danny Lauby - | - Wesley Plaisier

Gian van Veen - | - Keane Barry

Jitse Van der Wal - | - Daniel Klose

Cameron Menzies - | - Ricky Evans

Rene Eidams - | - Steve Lennon

Josh Rock - | - William Borland

Alan Soutar - | - Jeffrey De Zwaan

Gabriel Clemens - | - Graham Usher

Danny van Trijp - | - Patrick Geeraets

Jonny Clayton - | - Mickey Mansell

Nick Kenny - | - Tim Wolters

Ritchie Edhouse - | - Danny Jansen

Thibault Tricole - | - Lee Cocks

Ryan Searle - | - Kim Huybrechts

Mario Vandenbogaerde - | - Owen Bates

Callan Rydz - | - Kai Gotthardt

Richard Veenstra - | - Jeffrey Sparidaans

Michael van Gerwen - | - Karel Sedlacek

Florian Hempel - | - Darren Beveridge

Joe Cullen - | - Nathan Rafferty

Robert Owen - | - Connor Scutt