"He can't play next week slightly injured that could prolong the healing process": Mardle hopes Van Gerwen makes play-offs
PDCSaturday, 20 May 2023 at 13:30
Michael van Gerwen suffered a shoulder injury on Thursday during the final night of play of the regular phase of Premier League Darts. He was therefore absent for the semi-final against Dimitri Van den Bergh.
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Analyst and former Premier League participant Wayne Mardle hopes Van Gerwen gets fit for the play-offs but admits it could yet be complex.
"It's not about tonight. Him and his management all have to agree that it's not about tonight. It's about next week at the O2. It's a case of, whatever needs to be done has to start now. Whatever kind of manipulation [of the shoulder] or anything.
"His health is first and foremost the priority. If he can get healthy in a week, then great, but if he can't, and this is the thing, he can't play next week slightly injured, that could prolong the healing process, and then you roll into the World Cup, and then you roll into the Matchplay.
"And then there's all kinds of problems which make things worse. It's a real tense situation, and I just hope he's okay to play next week.
"It's a horrible situation for a sportsman to be in.
"We don't know how much pain he's in. We don't know if it's playable and this is precautionary, we don't know that. We're hoping that's the case and he can play next week.
"The absolute disaster would be not being able to play next week. It's about the health of his shoulder right now."
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Mardle added: "He's a winner and he'll think 'even if I'm not 100 per cent, I'm good enough' but you've got to be realistic and he could make things worse and he could end up missing the next two or three months which would be a darting disaster for him.
"We hope that rest is the best tonic."
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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