Wayne Mardle and Mark Webster have backed Michael van Gerwen to make Finals Night despite suffering a shoulder injury during his Premier League quarter-final victory against Chris Dobey in Aberdeen; The Play-Offs return to The O2 in London on Thursday, May 25
Friday 19 May 2023 09:32, UK
Wayne Mardle admits Michael van Gerwen has suffered a "nightmare" shoulder injury but he is still backing the Dutchman to reach the Premier League Darts final at the O2.
Reigning six-time champion Van Gerwen suffered the injury during his 6-3 quarter-final victory over Chris Dobey, storming into a 5-0 lead before playing through the pain barrier in the latter stages.
Despite receiving treatment post-match, the Dutchman was unable to take on Dimitri Van den Bergh in the last four, which meant he was forced to settle for a third-place finish.
Speaking to Emma Paton, Mardle called it a "tense situation" but has backed MVG to make it to London's O2 for the Play-Offs.
He said: "It's not about tonight. Him and his management all have to agree that it's not about tonight. It's about next week at the O2. It's a case of, whatever needs to be done has to start now. Whatever kind of manipulation [of the shoulder] or anything.
"His health is first and foremost the priority. If he can get healthy in a week, then great, but if he can't, and this is the thing, he can't play next week slightly injured, that could prolong the healing process, and then you roll into the World Cup, and then you roll into the Matchplay.
"And then there's all kinds of problems which make things worse. It's a real tense situation, and I just hope he's okay to play next week.
"It's a horrible situation for a sportsman to be in.
"We don't know how much pain he's in. We don't know if it's playable and this is precautionary, we don't know that. We're hoping that's the case and he can play next week.
"The absolute disaster would be not being able to play next week. It's about the health of his shoulder right now."
Mardle added: "He's a winner and he'll think 'even if I'm not 100 per cent, I'm good enough' but you've got to be realistic and he could make things worse and he could end up missing the next two or three months which would be a darting disaster for him.
"We hope that rest is the best tonic."
Webster said: "It's not a long time [to recover] is it? Like Wayne says, there's a bigger picture here.
"He's got to have treatment on it and probably by Tuesday he's got to start throwing. It's not a lot of time to get ready for longer games next week, potentially two of them. It's a nightmare scenario.
"He made the right decision tonight, there was no point hampering himself. He was upset leaving. It was just niggling away.
"He's got a good management team, and he'll have the best treatment. Hopefully he's right for next week.
"I wouldn't right him off. Hopefully it's not as a serious as it looked, but he did look in some discomfort.
"Next week is the big one, it's what he's worked these 16 weeks for.
"I think he'll get there, no matter what his condition."
"We don't know how much pain he's in. We don't know if it's playable and this is precautionary, we don't know that. We're hoping that's the case and he can play next week."
Van Gerwen underlined his powers of recovery when he underwent wrist surgery last year before coming back to win the World Matchplay in Blackpool.
"I wouldn't write him off," continued Welshman Webster. "Hopefully it is just a precaution and it's not as serious as it looked but he was definitely in some discomfort.
"He'll obviously not play at the Pro Tour in Leicester this weekend I'm guessing and just get himself ready for next week because it's the big one. It's what he worked these 16 weeks for to find his place in the Play-Offs and it would be a sucker punch for him if he couldn't be there.
"I think he'll get there by hook or by crook but whether he's 100 per cent is another matter."
We're back for more Premier League Darts action from London's O2 on Thursday, May 25 - Finals Night is live on Sky Sports Action from 7pm.
