SIMON WHITLOCK admits that his ongoing heel injury is a concern.
The Australian has been battling against a painful heel since banging his foot during January.
At times, the pain causes Whitlock to stand differently at the oche in order to keep the weight from his heel, and having thought the problem had receded he saw the pain return ahead of Thursday's Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts win over Mervyn King.
"It's flared up again," said Whitlock. "I got through the game against Mervyn and tried not to worry about it and it didn't hurt me during the match.
"But it's a big worry for me and I've got to get it seen to just to find out what the problem actually is.
"Dart players don't get many injuries and it's a first for me. I've never had a foot problem before and it worries me."
Whitlock has also changed the stems on his darts recently in a bid to regain the form which took him to the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship final.
He admits he was delighted with the results as he kick-started his Premier League challenge with a fine 8-6 win over King.
"I've made a slight adjustment on my darts," he said. "I changed shafts a week ago and it's working fantastically, my darts feel really good at the moment."
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