“You don’t come out of surgery and then go straight into top-level sport” - Gian van Veen advised to rest after kidney stone problem

The return of Gian van Veen to the Premier League Darts has immediately sparked debate. The Dutchman was back on stage in Berlin on Thursday for the first time since surgery for kidney stones, but his comeback ended in a clear defeat.

Van Veen barely got a foothold against Gerwyn Price. He lost the match 6-1 and had just one dart at a double in the entire contest. As a result, he has now slipped to sixth in the standings, four points off the play-off places.

Van Veen’s quick return raises questions, especially given the nature of his issue. Former professional Matthew Edgar warns that a premature comeback could affect his game. “Van Veen is someone who grips the darts towards the front end of the barrel, which means he needs to throw the darts with pace," Edgar said on the OLBG podcast. “He is going to need all that strength, otherwise he is relying purely on expert timing and a little bit of momentum."

According to Edgar, that is exactly where the risk lies. “We may even start to see him move and sway around with his body, which could start to break the technique down a little bit. So, there are things you look at here with Van Veen and you go he’s got to play it carefully.”

The concerns aren’t limited to his display in Berlin. Edgar also questions Van Veen’s schedule for the coming weeks, with more ProTour events on the calendar.

“I mean, ProTours coming up Monday and Tuesday next week — would it be a good idea to skip those right now?” he said. “He could win one of them and then you go, ‘Oh, that’s all well and good.’ But does that have a knock-on effect? Because then he will be overly fatigued."

The ex-pro stresses that recovery after surgery takes time. “You don’t come out of surgery and then go straight into top-level sport. You need that recovery time.”

Van Veen started the season strongly and reached multiple finals in the opening weeks of the Premier League. Since Night Four, however, he hasn’t won a match, a run that continued in Berlin.

The combination of physical uncertainty and disappointing results adds pressure on the Dutchman, who remains in the hunt for a top-four spot. There isn’t much time to recover. In the next round in Manchester, another tough opponent awaits in Luke Littler.