Michael van Gerwen will face Russia’s Boris Koltsov in the first round of Players Championship 23 in Barnsley today, as the world number one returns to PDC floor action for the first time since May.

Van Gerwen, who was beaten 8-5 by Joe Cullen in the final of the European Darts Matchplay on Sunday, has skipped 16 of the 22 Players Championship events so far in 2019.

But the reigning world champion is in the 128-player field at the Barnsley Metrodome today, for the first of two mid-week tournaments.

Elsewhere in the draw, World Matchplay champion Rob Cross plays Alan Tabern, world number three Daryl Gurney faces Steve West, and Gary Anderson meets Toni Alcinas.

World number five Michael Smith opens up with Cristo Reyes, Peter Wright takes on Stephen Burton, Gerwyn Price plays fellow Welshman Barrie Bates, and James Wade meets Jonathan Worsley.

Recent European Tour winner Mensur Suljovic is the only player, along with Corey Cadby, from the top 64 missing, while Ian White plays Adrian Gray, Simon Whitlock takes on Raymond van Barneveld, Dave Chisnall faces Josh Payne, and Nathan Aspinall meets Mark Webster.

Jonny Clayton starts his campaign against Luke Woodhouse, newly-crowned European Tour winner Joe Cullen plays Ross Smith, and Adrian Lewis faces George Killington.

PDC Players Championship 23

First Round

Michael van Gerwen vs Boris Koltsov

Steve Lennon vs Dirk van Duijvenbode

Darren Webster vs Joe Murnan

Ryan Joyce vs Justin Pipe

Ricky Evans vs Luke Humphries

Marko Kantele vs Bradley Brooks

Nathan Aspinall vs Mark Webster

Andrew Gilding vs Maik Kuivenhoven

Peter Wright vs Stephen Burton

Toni Alcinas vs Gary Anderson

Keegan Brown vs Adam Hunt

Madars Razma vs Wayne Jones

Joe Cullen vs Ross Smith

Kim Huybrechts vs Jose Justicia

Danny Noppert vs Peter Hudson

Jan Dekker vs Mickey Mansell

James Wade vs Jonathan Worsley

Willie O’Connor vs Arron Monk

John Henderson vs Terry Temple

Mark Dudbridge vs Matthew Edgar

Jonny Clayton vs Luke Woodhouse

Ted Evetts vs Ryan Meikle

Steve Beaton vs Mark Wilson

Nathan Rafferty vs Jose De Sousa

Dave Chisnall vs Josh Payne

Ryan Searle vs Reece Robinson

Mervyn King vs Mike van Duivenbode

Gavin Carlin vs Mark McGeeney

Jermaine Wattimena vs Nathan Derry

Niels Zonneveld vs Richard North

Stephen Bunting vs Zoran Lerchbacher

Yordi Meeuwisse vs James Wilson

Ian White vs Adrian Gray

Kevin Burness vs Kirk Shepherd

Gabriel Clemens vs Carl Wilkinson

Kyle Anderson vs Callan Rydz

Michael Smith vs Cristo Reyes

Andy Jenkins vs Ron Meulenkamp

Jamie Hughes vs Martin Schindler

Alan Norris vs Harry Ward

Krzysztof Ratajski vs Brendan Dolan

Cody Harris vs Robert Thornton

Vincent van der Voort vs Christian Bunse

Matt Clark vs David Pallett

Adrian Lewis vs George Killington

Andy Boulton vs Jelle Klaasen

Simon Whitlock vs Raymond van Barneveld

Benito van de Pas vs James Richardson

Daryl Gurney vs Steve West

Mario Robbe vs Simon Stevenson

Max Hopp vs Devon Petersen

Gary Eastwood vs Scott Baker

Glen Durrant vs Christian Kist

Robert Owen vs Conan Whitehead

Chris Dobey vs Ryan Harrington

Berry van Peer vs Tony Newell

Gerwyn Price vs Barrie Bates

Rowby-John Rodriguez vs Davy van Baelen

Dimitri van den Bergh vs Vincent van der Meer

Jamie Lewis vs Tytus Kanik

Rob Cross vs Alan Tabern

Michael Barnard vs Geert Nentjes

Jeffrey de Zwaan vs Eddie Dootson

Ronny Huybrechts vs Ritchie Edhouse

Picture: PDC Europe