But Van der Voort, speaking on the Darts Draait Door podcast, has claimed that illness has been plaguing the 35-year-old ever since he travelled to Asia on holiday.

“He’s been struggling with a virus or infection for quite some time now,” Van der Voort said. “He picked it up during his holiday in Thailand back in early January, and he just hasn’t been able to shake it off. On top of that, he’s not in his best form.”

He claimed that Van Gerwen immediately travelled home after losing in Germany, heading to the doctor’s in order to seek treatment before Premier League Night 7 in Cardiff.

“He was already at the doctor’s this morning,” Van der Voort added, before refuting the chance that a break from darts might be the best course of action.

He continued: “When is he supposed to do that? He’s not in a position to just skip tournaments.

“The doctor told him it’s really unwise to spend so much time on planes, as that’s where bacteria spread easily. But what choice does he have?”

There is no let-up for Van Gerwen, however, as he begins his seventh Premier League night against Luke Humphries. The Dutchman did win their last meeting 6-5 in Belfast though, giving him some confidence ahead of their meeting in south Wales.

Last year, Van Gerwen underwent dental surgery after suffering from jaw pain that had an effect on his throw.

“I’ll have an operation in which they’re going to break my upper jaw and lower jaw,” he explained before going under the knife. “Put them right on each other.

“Then it’s all about recovery. Two years more in a brace. Then I’m about finished. Between the first operation this year and the second one, there has to be a minimum of one year.

“It’s because my upper jaw is a lot smaller than my lower jaw. My underbite is over a centimetre. Even a slice of ham, I cannot even bite properly. And because my upper jaw is too small also you get less oxygen through your nose. That creates headaches. Less sleep. Things like that.”