NATHAN ASPINALL has been back in hospital with yet another injury scare.
The World No.11 goes into the Winmau World Masters on Thursday and Premier League opening night in Belfast next week nursing a new elbow issue.
The Stockport star, 33, required medical attention in Bahrain a fortnight ago.
His elbow swelled up on the eve of the opening World Series of Darts, which initially was thought to be an insect bite.
Aspinall battled on but lost in the quarter-finals to Luke Humphries.
However, it has been revealed that he was back in hospital in the UK prior to travelling to the Netherlands last week with the issue refusing to go away.
Aspinall, 33, crashed out of the Dutch Masters with a shock 6-1 defeat to Kevin Doets on Friday night.
ITV commentator Dan Dawson confirmed: “They weren’t quite sure what it was in Bahrain and they’re still not 100 per cent sure what’s caused it.
“But even as recently as yesterday, it was still causing him problems.
“He had to visit hospital back in the UK this week as well.
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“It is bursitis, so it’s an infection of his elbow.
“He’s been taking tablets for it to try and manage the condition, but it looks like something that he’s going to have to deal with for a few weeks.”
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Nathan Aspinall ‘tries to take his dart back’ after missing nine-darter in rarely-seen moment at World Championship” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6366552827112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]Aspinall opened up on suffering with Dartitis just prior to the World Championship in December.
He has also been dogged with injuries to his back and wrist.
On getting Dartitis, he said last year: “I was open and honest about it, I’ve tried to hide it for the last 18 months, two years, but I think it was important for people to understand what I’ve been through.
“I will overcome it and give hope to anyone else that’s going through something similar.”
Aspinall broke down during the Premier League in Brighton last year and continued: “I think what it was is.
“I’ve just come back from a wrist injury and I just started playing well.
“I was in the toilet, smashing the hand dryer and I’m crying and going, ‘Just give me a break.’
“I mean, I’ve had back injuries, I’ve had wrist injuries, I’ve just about started playing well and then this.
“Just gimme a break, let me play darts for like more than three months without something happening.”