Michael van Gerwen has announced that he requires surgery for an arm injury and will miss June's Cazoo World Cup of Darts.
The Dutchman has enjoyed a strong first five months in 2022, winning three European Tour events and two Players Championships and finishing second in the Cazoo Premier League with three night wins.
However, Van Gerwen has revealed that he has been playing through the pain of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in his throwing arm whilst receiving treatment.
The injury will now require an operation, which Van Gerwen will undergo on Tuesday June 14 following the Cazoo Premier League Play-Offs in Berlin.
Van Gerwen will not compete in that week's Players Championship double-header in Niedernhausen or the World Cup of Darts from June 16-19, and will assess his recovery ahead of the Dutch Darts Masters at Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome later in the month.
Van Gerwen said: "For some time now I have been experiencing a tingling sensation in my throwing hand and arm. Following medical assessment, I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
"I have been receiving treatment for a while in order to ease the symptoms, enabling me to continue to play to a good level. However, it has become clear that I will require an operation for this problem to go away permanently.
"This operation will take place on 14 June, following the Premier League Play-Offs. Unfortunately, this means I will be unable to play in Players Championships 16-17 and the World Cup of Darts.
"It is disappointing to miss the World Cup, but myself, my management, family and medical advisors agree that it is the right time to fix the problem.
"I will make decisions on other events in June and July based on how my recovery progresses. It is my goal to be back to one hundred percent ahead of the World Matchplay.
"I want to thank those around me for their support and understanding. Having this operation now means I will miss some events but should be at full strength for all the big televised tournaments for the rest of the year.
"I would also like to wish the Netherlands team the best of luck at the World Cup of Darts."
Good and bad news this morning. I will be having some surgery on a long standing problem and will miss the World Cup of Darts. The good news is, I will be back to 100% once my recovery is complete. The full story is too big for a post so you can see below.
— Michael Van Gerwen (@MvG180) May 30, 2022
Regards Michael ? pic.twitter.com/UvvVj9Iydt
The Dutchman has previously won three World Cup titles in nine successive appearances in the event, and had been set to line up alongside Danny Noppert in Frankfurt next month.
The news means that the new-look Dutch pairing for June's World Cup of Darts is set to see reigning UK Open champion Noppert partnered by 2020 World Grand Prix finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode.
The Cazoo World Cup of Darts will be held from June 16-19 at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt, Germany. For tickets, visit the PDC Europe website.