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Mykhailo Mudryk has been absent from Chelsea’s lineup for nearly a year and faced formal charges from the FA in June.
Mykhailo Mudryk is currently serving a suspension, rendering him ineligible to play for both Chelsea and Ukraine. This follows a doping offence charge levied by the Football Association. What developments are unfolding behind the scenes?
The 24-year-old winger initially joined Chelsea in January 2023 for a reported €70m (£61m) and has since made 73 appearances for the club.
He was provisionally suspended in December 2024 after a urine sample tested positive for a prohibited substance, with formal charges following in June.
The FA’s investigation remains ongoing, and the outcome, its timing, and any potential sanctions remain uncertain. Doping cases lack a defined timeline, extending until all evidence is thoroughly examined.
Mudryk’s legal defense is being handled by Morgan Sports Law, the firm that represented former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba during his doping case with Juventus, as well as boxer Tyson Fury and cyclist Chris Froome during their respective investigations.
BBC Sport has conducted an in-depth examination of Mudryk’s situation, engaging with individuals in both Ukraine and London to ascertain his whereabouts and the ongoing developments.
Following the public announcement of his positive test, Mudryk stated on Instagram: “This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules, and am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened.
“I know that I have not done anything wrong and remain hopeful that I will be back on the pitch soon.”
Mudryk’s legal representatives and close associates maintain his innocence regarding the intentional ingestion of any prohibited substance, with multiple sources asserting that he has passed an unverified polygraph test affirming this.
BBC has learned that Mudryk may have come into contact with meldonium, a cardiovascular medication known to potentially enhance respiratory capacity and stamina, while on international duty with the Ukraine national team.
When asked to verify this, the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) did not issue a denial, but insisted none of their staff members were involved.
“UAF officials cannot comment on this matter, since the UAF is not a part of this case,” it told BBC Sport.
“The World Anti-Doping Energy (Wada) or the English FA didn’t send any request to the UAF.
“We are in close contact with Mudryk’s lawyers and provide them with all necessary information. We cannot comment further, as a non-disclosure provision is in effect.
“No UAF official, staff, doctors, or coach were involved.”
UAF president and former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has not visited him at any point, although he also maintains a residence in London.
The precise manner in which Mudryk allegedly ingested meldonium remains unclear. The substance has been banned by Wada since 2016 and is primarily utilized in Eastern European nations to treat conditions such as angina, heart failure, and coronary artery disease.
Testing conducted at the 2015 European Games in Baku revealed that 13 medalists were using the substance at that time, with its usage prevalent across the majority of sports included in the Games.
Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova failed a drugs test in March 2016 after meldonium was detected in her sample.
What is meldonium and can it enhance a footballer’s performance?
During the most recent international break, Ukraine’s national team suffered a home defeat to France and drew away with Azerbaijan, potentially jeopardizing their qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Consequently, Mudryk’s absence has sparked both frustration and curiosity within the country.
His former club, Shakhtar Donetsk, stands to lose a potential €30m (£26m) in add-ons, which were agreed upon by Chelsea in addition to the initial transfer fee.
These fee conditions are unlikely to be met given Mudryk’s ineligibility to play. However, reports in Ukraine suggesting that Shakhtar is considering legal action against the UAF over potential lost earnings were dismissed as “nonsense” by the club’s CEO Sergei Palkin, who insists that finances are not their primary concern.
“When we speak about Mudryk, we don’t think about the money, we speak about the human being,” the club’s sporting director Dario Srna told BBC Sport.
“We feel so sorry for him. We know he is 100% innocent – he will show that.
“We support him like an ex-player, a human being and a friend. We don’t think the money is important.”
Mudryk became one of Europe’s most highly rated young players during his time with Shakhtar
Shakhtar CEO Palkin added: “From time to time, I’ve spoken with Mudryk on the phone, and we’ve even met a couple of times in London. We maintain contact because he is our academy graduate and a high-profile player.
“Our relationship has always been good, and I felt it was important to support him morally during this period.”
Palkin said he had “no idea” how the positive test happened.
“Based on the information available to me, I simply cannot understand the circumstances that led to it,” he said.
“I have been in contact with the UAF. I asked them to support Mudryk and requested that the lawyers handling this case respond responsibly and without delay.
“This situation affects the image of Ukraine and Ukrainian football as a whole. That’s why, if there is any opportunity to help him, we must do so.
“I don’t know where that information [about potentially suing the UAF] came from. It’s nonsense. This idea has no basis whatsoever.
“I remain hopeful that this process with Mudryk will be resolved as quickly as possible, and that he will return to the pitch to continue his career.”
Mudryk last made a public appearance after Chelsea’s 4-1 Uefa Conference League final win over Real Betis, which he watched in a private capacity.
The 24-year-old met supporters when out walking with friends in the Polish city of Wroclaw and attended Chelsea’s celebration party at the team’s hotel.
Since then Mudryk has remained in London, though he is unable to play matches or even train alongside his team-mates.
A devout Orthodox Christian, he frequently attends church and those around him insist he is in good physical and mental health.
The Ukrainian is training alone with a private coach at private facilities, and his camp is confident he is doing all he can from a fitness perspective to minimise any damage to his career.
Chelsea are tracking his progress but the terms of his suspension mean he is extremely limited in the access he is allowed to the club, its facilities and his team-mates.
Mudryk last played for Chelsea on 28 November 2024 and was an unused substitute for a league match three days later against Aston Villa.
The club are expected to wait until the outcome of the case before commenting.
Mudryk had been an important player for Ukraine prior to his suspension, having played 28 times since making his debut in 2022
If Mudryk is deemed to have broken the rules, he faces of a ban of up to four years.
The FA treats all doping cases confidentially – that means there is no information available about where the case is up to, or what the outcome might be.
Mudryk and his legal team could potentially mount an appeal – which would be assessed by the FA’s anti-doping tribunal – if he is found guilty.
There is also the possibility of a further appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland after that.
In Pogba’s case, 18 months passed between his initial positive test and the date he was permitted to return to playing football after his ban was reduced on appeal.
So whether or not he is found guilty, fans can still expect to wait a fair while before Mudryk takes to the field for any team.
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