"He was already at the doctor’s this morning" - Lingering virus reportedly behind Michael van Gerwen's poor run of form

Michael van Gerwen was notably absent from the eighth Players Championship event of the year yesterday. After suffering an early exit in the opening round the day before, the 35-year-old Dutchman opted to return home to the Netherlands earlier than planned.

Van Gerwen started the year on a high note by reaching the World Championship final, where he fell short against Luke Littler in a 7-3 defeat. However, things have been far from smooth for ‘Mighty Mike’ since then. His best result this year has been a quarter-final finish at Players Championship 5, and his performances have been inconsistent.

"He’s been struggling with a virus or infection for quite some time now," fellow Dutchman Vincent van der Voort revealed on the Darts Draait Door podcast. "He picked it up during his holiday in Thailand back in early January, and he just hasn’t been able to shake it off. On top of that, he’s not in his best form."

After his swift defeat at Players Championship 7, Van Gerwen wasted no time in heading back home. "He was already at the doctor’s this morning," Van der Voort added. Podcast host Damian Vlottes suggested that taking a break might be the best course of action for Van Gerwen, but Van der Voort wasn’t convinced. "When is he supposed to do that?" he questioned. "He’s not in a position to just skip tournaments."

And the schedule isn’t getting any easier. Despite his health concerns, Van Gerwen is already expected in Cardiff today for the seventh night of the Premier League Darts. He’ll face Luke Humphries in the quarter-finals on Thursday evening before heading straight into another European Tour event. On top of that, he has work to do to secure his spot in the Players Championship Finals, where he currently sits just 70th in the rankings.

"The doctor told him it’s really unwise to spend so much time on planes, as that’s where bacteria spread easily," Van der Voort concluded. "But what choice does he have?"

With his form dipping and his health far from ideal, Van Gerwen faces a tough challenge in the weeks ahead. Will he push through, or will his struggles force him to make a difficult decision?