"Excessive extra bone growing around my ankle" - Michael Smith unveils seriousness of ankle injury ahead of return to PDC World Darts Championship

Michael Smith is doing everything he can to be fit and prepared for the upcoming 2026 PDC World Darts Championship. This is including regularly getting injections to relief him of pain in his ankle.

Injury has seriously derailed the 2023 world champion's career. Once on top of the world becoming number one and often challenging for the biggest prizes, he is now struggling to even qualify for these major events, including the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and European Championship. He recently showed the class he still possesses at the Grand Slam of Darts, making it through to the quarter-finals before being dumped out to Luke Humphries.

'Bully Boy' has opened up on his painful ankle injury. “Been to see the specialist today regarding my ankle and my arthritis and he confirmed it again that’s what it is, but from my X-rays he was concerned if I’d ever broken it because of the excessive extra bone growing around my ankle," he stated.

“But now for the Worlds as I’m sat in the car waiting for them to ring me for two injections for my ankle and wrist and maybe shoulder. So I should be skipping down the walk-on joking – didn’t skip as a kid and definitely not now lol. But to know I won’t be in all the pain like at Minehead and will be able to balance myself properly is a great feeling. So now get these done then straight to the sofa to rest then to the dartboard for pain-free sessions.”

Smith has also been struggling with arthritis in his wrist after breaking them when he was 19. He will be hoping to put these injury setbacks behind him as he looks to climb back up the rankings going into 2026. He faces the women's World Matchplay champion Lisa Ashton in the first round at Ally Pally.