BARRIE BATES has revealed that the suspected gout which wrecked his Stan James World Matchplay bid was in fact a broken bone in his foot!
Bates has been in plaster and on crutches since his second round exit to Raymond van Barneveld in Blackpool last month - when the plucky Welshman limped through a battling display against the World Champion after defeating Andy Smith 10-8 in round one.
He had initially been in pain with his ankle and foot during the qualifiers for the Las Vegas Desert Classic at the start of July, with doctors diagnosing the symptoms of gout on his return to the UK.
However, Bates returned to Wales to see a specialist after his Blackpool exit, with scans revealing a broken bone in his foot and immediately placing him in plaster.
He has a check-up next Monday which will determine whether Bates can compete in the Bullit World Darts Trophy at the end of August - when he faces Shaun Greatbatch in the preliminary round - but the player himself has set a target of the two Pro Tour events in Newport at the end of September for a full comeback.
"I've never had pain like I had in Blackpool!" Bates told PlanetDarts.tv. "I was in agony.
"It started around the time of the Desert Classic and I went to the hospital afterwards, and they thought it was gout.
"But after I lost to Raymond in the World Matchplay, I went straight home the next day and had a scan. They told me it was an old football injury that had re-broken, possibly because I stand on it a lot and maybe due to the flight we had to Las Vegas.
"It was getting weaker and weaker and then it broke again, Blackpool was the final straw I guess - I couldn't move.
"I go back on Monday to have the plaster off and we'll see what happens then, but realistically I am looking at being back for Newport.
"Hopefully it will be healed before then and I can play in the World Darts Trophy but we'll wait and see, and I'm not going to the Players Championships in Atlanta and Windy City.
"It's certainly hard work on the crutches - harder than playing!"
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