Due to the suspension of his outburst, a darter has been changed and will miss the World Darts Championship.

The Dutchman may have won three titles at Alexandra Palace but he has failed to land a fourth since his last victory in 2019.

He has also had to settle for the runners-up spot on three separate occasions.

Is Van Gerwen showing vulnerability on the oche or is the answer a lot simpler?

The 34-year-old may have won everything there is to win in PDC Darts, but an illusive fourth crown at Alexandra Palace continues to elude him.

Will 2024 be his year?

“I think I deserve to win the title more than three times but that’s the way darts goes unfortunately sometimes,” Van Gerwen told Sky Sports before this year’s World Championship.

“I probably deserve to win four or five in my opinion, but I’ve still got plenty of time. There’s no point looking back because it’s not going to bring me any more titles. Questions like ‘could have’ and ‘should have’ doesn’t count.”