Entries Players Championship 17 & 18: Humphries and Price return to ProTour as Van Gerwen, Littler, Aspinall and Anderson lead absentees

The next Players Championship double header is due to take place between May 18-19 at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester and for now at least the withdrawals are fairly minimal apart from a few big names.

As has been the theme over the past two weeks, over 15 players didn't play either Players Championship tournaments in Hildesheim or Leicester over the past two weeks. Albeit with Wessel Nijman winning most of the titles anyway and other interesting winners like Beau Greaves, Michael van Gerwen and Andrew Gilding, it has still been a talking point with or without the big names.

Nijman will aim to extend that tally in the East Midlands city with Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price at least as of right now entered in to play the next double header.

Michael van Gerwen who has borderline played everything for the past few months won't be involved albeit with a title he deals his Minehead hopes a world of good and he is also playing in Riesa next weekend unlike some other top names so is picking and choosing with the final night of the regular Premier League season.

Nathan Aspinall continues not to play on the ProTour while the same can be said for Luke Littler who continues to boycott these events and is also not playing on the European Tour either right now when they're held in Germany. He won in Belgium earlier in the season so feasibly doesn't need to play again.

Gary Anderson is the only other big name not playing this week with Joe Hunt, Derek Coulson, Tommy Lishman, Tommy Morris deputising. Daniel Ayres and Christopher Wickenden play PC17 and PC18 only.