Positive update as Mark Webster set to return to Premier League Darts punditry after confirming blood cancer diagnosis

Mark Webster is set to return to punditry duty this week after confirming that he has improved in his recovery a week after an interview with Darts World where he confirmed that he was suffering with a rare form of blood cancer.

One that is very much treatable and one that he is undergoing treatment for but it has been slower than he has expected. Webster had to take a step away from punditry duty suddenly earlier in the year and has not been seen on Sky Sports or ITV for some time with his management confirming his absence.

But in the interview with Darts World, he confirmed that while he has been itching his body has not been right to return. "The recovery just hasn’t gone to plan in terms of the speed of it. My white blood cell counts still aren’t recovering properly, so my immune system isn’t great at the minute, which is why I can’t go back to work yet," he said. "It’s not the worst-case scenario, but it’s frustrating. I’m managing okay though and dealing with it alright."

"I’ve got to trust the people looking after me because they’ve been really good. I don’t always get the answers I want when I go in, but I have to trust them. I got a bit carried away a few weeks ago thinking I might be able to work at Brighton, but my blood counts were too low. At the minute they’re being assisted by boosters and they are improving, but I need to come off those boosters and have the levels hold on their own before I can return to work. So it’s just a case of trusting the process."

Now though, Webster has received some positive news as his recovery has gone well enough that he will head to Birmingham on Thursday night, headlined by top of the table Littler v nearest rival Clayton, as well as Price v MVG.

"I'm delighted to say that since this interview was filmed, things have improved. Although I'm still undergoing treatment, I have been cleared to return to Premier League duty on Thursday. Looking forward to being back amongst it. Thanks again for all of the love and support," he wrote on social media.

He initially tried to return earlier in the Premier League season but this was thwarted albeit he set his stall out to return before the end and now gets just that. "I’m not putting a date in my mind anymore because Brighton was my target and I got carried away with myself. I started feeling better and thought my bloods would be fine, but they were still too low.

"They’ve crept up slightly now, but they’re still being assisted by boosters, so they need to hold without them. I’d love to make some sort of appearance at the Premier League before the end if possible, but we’ll see what they say. I’ve got another appointment this week, so hopefully there’s another improvement in the blood counts and we can have some positive news from there."