OFFICIAL: Michael van Gerwen OUT of Premier League Darts Night Three as illness hands Luke Littler bye

Michael van Gerwen has officially withdrawn from Night Three of the 2026 Premier League Darts in Glasgow due to illness, the PDC have confirmed.

The seven-time Premier League champion had been hoping to continue his superb start to the new campaign after winning Night One in Newcastle and finishing runner-up to Gerwyn Price in Antwerp. However, a medical issue has ruled him out of Thursday night’s action at the OVO Hydro.

Under tournament rules, Van Gerwen’s scheduled quarter-final opponent, Luke Littler, receives a bye through to the semi-finals.

Littler is awarded two league points and +1 leg difference. Van Gerwen receives no points and a -6 leg difference.

The withdrawal comes at a pivotal moment in the early-season narrative.

Van Gerwen had looked sharp and focused across the opening two weeks. He claimed maximum points on Night One and followed it with another final appearance, signalling what many saw as a serious 2026 resurgence after a mixed previous campaign.

Instead of building on that platform in Glasgow, the Dutchman now sees his momentum interrupted, while a direct rival benefits without throwing a dart.

In the Premier League’s unforgiving weekly format, leg difference can prove decisive. A six-leg swing this early in the competition is not insignificant, particularly with Littler, Price and Luke Humphries all capable of stacking nightly victories.

With Van Gerwen absent, the Glasgow bracket adjusts accordingly.

Littler now enters the semi-finals fresh, while his potential opponent will have already navigated a quarter-final. In a format built on margins, that rest advantage could be crucial.