Michael van Gerwen health scare as Premier League Darts leader could MISS night three in Glasgow with mystery illness

Dutchman on antibiotics and awaiting test results with Luke Littler clash in serious doubt

Michael van Gerwen faces a race against time to be fit for Thursday’s Premier League Darts clash with Luke Littler in Glasgow after the PDC confirmed the table-topping Dutchman is battling a mystery illness.

The three-time world champion is on antibiotics and awaiting crucial test results that will determine whether he can travel to Scotland for what was set to be one of the marquee quarter-final matchups of the season.

PDC Issues Statement

The governing body issued a statement following consultation with Van Gerwen’s management: “Michael has a medical issue and is awaiting results of tests which will determine whether he can travel to Glasgow”.

Tournament rules stipulate that if any player is forced to withdraw from a Premier League night, their quarter-final opponent would instantly receive a bye into the semi-finals. If Van Gerwen was to pull out then Littler will face either Jonny Clayton or Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals.

Van der Voort Raises Alarm

Vincent van der Voort, the former professional and close friend of Van Gerwen, first raised concerns about the situation on the Darts Draait Door podcast in the Netherlands.

“Unfortunately, we still don’t know for sure if Michael will play. He’s picked something up and is on antibiotics,” Van der Voort revealed.

“I can’t say yet that he’ll be there. We’ll have to wait and see over the coming days. Tests are being done, and I hope they find it quickly so it can be resolved”, he added, painting a picture of genuine uncertainty around Van Gerwen’s availability.

“Every Time It Turns the Right Way, Something Happens”

Van der Voort’s most poignant comment captured the cruel timing of Van Gerwen’s health scare, coming just as the Dutchman appeared to be rediscovering his best form.

“Every time you think it’s turning the right way, something happens again,” Van der Voort lamented, referencing the personal and professional difficulties that have plagued Van Gerwen throughout 2025 and into early 2026.

The comment highlighted just how unfortunate the timing is for a player who has endured a painful divorce, struggled with form, and finally seemed to be turning a corner with back-to-back strong Premier League performances.

Impressive Start to 2026 Season

The potential absence comes at a particularly inopportune moment for the three-time world champion, who has enjoyed an impressive resurgence in recent weeks. Van Gerwen claimed victory on the Premier League’s opening night in Newcastle. He then reached the final in Antwerp, where he fell to Gerwyn Price.

His form on the ProTour has been equally encouraging, with a semi-final and quarter-final appearance at the first two Players Championship events of the season.

The Dutchman also lifted the Bahrain Masters trophy earlier this year, suggesting he had turned a corner following a difficult 2025 campaign both on and off the oche.

Van Gerwen currently leads the Premier League table with eight points from a possible ten, boasting a three-point cushion over second-placed Gerwyn Price. His absence would represent a significant blow not just to his own title aspirations but to the tournament’s competitive integrity.

The Littler Factor

Van Gerwen defeated Littler 6-4 with a 100.7 average in last week’s semi-finals, leaving the world number one outside of the top four in the early standings.

The quarter-final rematch promised to be a blockbuster encounter—Van Gerwen seeking to maintain his dominance over Littler from the Antwerp semi-final, while the world champion desperately needs points after a slow start that sees him languishing in fifth place with just two points from two nights.

If Van Gerwen is forced to withdraw, Littler would receive an automatic bye to the semi-finals—a significant advantage but one that denies fans the opportunity to see two of darts’ biggest names clash in what should have been the highlight of the Glasgow evening.

Poland Open Also in Doubt

Alongside the Premier League night in Glasgow, the first Euro Tour event of the season is scheduled this coming weekend in Poland. Whether Van Gerwen will appear there is not yet clear. “Everything is uncertain for now,” Van der Voort noted.

The uncertainty extends beyond just Thursday’s Premier League night, with Van Gerwen’s entire immediate schedule now in question. The Poland Open represents the first European Tour event of 2026, and Van Gerwen’s absence would be felt keenly at the inaugural ET1 in Kraków.

Previous Withdrawal Precedent

Van Gerwen was unable to compete in Berlin during last year’s tournament after he sustained a shoulder injury, demonstrating that the PDC has dealt with his mid-season withdrawals before.

The shoulder problem that forced him out of the Berlin leg last season ultimately didn’t derail his Premier League campaign entirely, but it contributed to a forgettable 2025 season where he failed to win a single nightly title and missed the O2 finals for the first time in years.

The Difficult 2025 Context

Despite his recent difficulties, he is a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the titles in 2014, 2017, and 2019. Van Gerwen held the world No 1 ranking for an incredible seven consecutive years between 2014 and 2021.

Yet 2025 was undeniably his worst year as a professional. He endured a painful public divorce from wife Daphne, watched his ex-partner have a baby with another man just eight months after their separation, struggled with form across all tournaments, and openly admitted it was “probably my worst year ever.”

The fact that 2026 had started so promisingly—with the Bahrain Masters title, strong Pro Tour results, and leading the Premier League table—made Van der Voort’s comment about “every time it turns the right way, something happens again” all the more poignant.

Fan and Player Impact

For fans who purchased tickets months ago expecting to see Van Gerwen vs Littler, the potential withdrawal represents a significant disappointment. The OVO Hydro sold out shortly after going on general sale, with the Glasgow crowd particularly eager to see the Premier League return to Scotland.

For the players, Van Gerwen’s absence would reshape the entire draw. Littler would advance automatically to face either Jonny Clayton or Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals, while the other half of the draw—featuring Luke Humphries vs Josh Rock and Gian van Veen vs Stephen Bunting—would remain unaffected.

The Verdict

Michael van Gerwen’s health scare represents more than just a potential absence from one Premier League night—it symbolizes the ongoing struggles of a player desperately trying to rebuild his career and personal life after the worst year of his professional existence.

Just when it appeared that Van Gerwen had weathered the storm and was rediscovering the form that made him the world’s most dominant player for nearly a decade, illness has struck at the worst possible time. Leading the Premier League table, riding a wave of confidence, and finally looking like “Mighty Mike” again—only for a mystery medical issue to potentially derail everything.

As Vincent van der Voort so aptly put it: “Every time you think it’s turning the right way, something happens again.” For Michael van Gerwen, those words must feel like a cruel summary of the past 18 months.

Thursday evening will reveal whether Van Gerwen can defy the odds and make it to Glasgow, or whether Luke Littler will receive a bye while fans are left wondering what might have been in one of the Premier League’s most anticipated quarter-finals of the season.

For now, the darts world waits anxiously for test results that will determine not just Van Gerwen’s availability for Glasgow, but potentially his participation in the Poland Open and beyond. The hope is that whatever he’s picked up can be quickly resolved, allowing the Premier League leader to continue his impressive resurgence rather than watching it slip away due to illness.