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