Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price miss Poland Darts Open due to “medical reasons”

Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen will not compete this weekend at the Poland Darts Open. Both stars have withdrawn for medical reasons from the first Euro Tour event of the season, which takes place from February 20 to 22 in Krakow.

The tournament marks the first edition of the Poland Darts Open on the Euro Tour calendar. Big names such as world number one Luke Littler and former world champion Luke Humphries headline the field, but without Price and Van Gerwen a significant portion of the elite is missing.

Price decided to pull out after Night Three of the Premier League Darts, which was staged Thursday in Glasgow. The former rugby player lost his opening match there 6-3 to his compatriot Jonny Clayton, who went on to win the night. Van Gerwen had already missed that event due to medical issues and has not recovered sufficiently to appear at the oche in Poland. His withdrawal was officially confirmed on Friday morning.

For Van Gerwen, it means another strike through a major-stage appearance, after he also had to skip the Premier League night in Glasgow earlier.

The vacant spots in the field have now been filled. Former world champion Michael Smith takes Price’s place, while Callan Rydz, a two-time World Championship quarter-finalist, replaces Van Gerwen.

Because both withdrawals were announced only after the draw, Smith and Rydz directly assume their predecessors’ positions in the bracket. That means they, just as Price and Van Gerwen were originally due to do, will enter in the second round on Saturday.

Price and Van Gerwen are expected in Belfast next week for Night Four of the Premier League Darts. As it happens, the two players will face each other in the quarter-finals in Northern Ireland. Both have already won a night in the Premier League. Van Gerwen was best on opening night in Newcastle, and Price claimed the weekly title in Antwerp.