Mykhailo Mudryk has been provisionally suspended from football
The Blues winger has missed his club's last five matches since late November
Chelsea signed the Ukrainian winger for £88m in January 2023
By SONNY COHEN
Published: 05:33 EST, 17 December 2024 | Updated: 05:33 EST, 17 December 2024
Mykhailo Mudryk has been provisionally suspended from football following a positive drugs test.
The Chelsea winger had missed Blues' last five matches, including the win over Brentford.
Mudryk's absence was originally put down to illness with his last appearance coming against Heidenheim in the Europa Conference league where he scored for the Blues, but it would appear his absence is linked to the investigation.
Talking to reporters before the 4-3 win over Spurs, Maresca said: 'The other one [to miss out] is still ill is Misha Mudryk and the rest are okay.'
At this stage, the actual drug involved is unknown.
Despite his lofy price tag, Mudryk has spent much of his time with Chelsea on the peripheray so who exactly is their mercural Ukrainian talent?
Mykhailo Mudryk has been provisionally suspended from football following a positive drugs test
He signed for Chelsea in an £88m deal during the January 2023 transfer window
Where is Mykhailo Mudryk from?
Mykhailo Mudryk was born in Berestyn, Kharkiv Oblast in Ukraine on January 5, 2001.
Where did Mykhailo Mudryk start his career?
Mykhailo Mudryk began his footballing career in his native Ukraine where he started out in the Metalist Kharkiv academy.
In 2014, Mudryk joined Dnipro where he quickly rose through the age groups of their academy, attracting interest from Shakhtar Donetsk.
He would go on to join Shakhtar's academy in 2016 where he would remain, eventually playing in their under-21 team during the 2018-19 season.
It was during that season that he made his first team debut for the Ukrainian side, against Olimpik Donetsk in the Ukrainian Cup, he was just 17 at the time.
Who has Mykhailo Mudryk played for in his senior career?
Mykhailo Mudryk broke through for Shakhtar Donetsk's senior team during the 2021 season.
But that came after two loan spells away from the club, firstly with Arsenal Kyiv during the 2019 season.
He made 10 appearances for the side, failing to score during his time with the club.
Mudryk showed off his frame on Instagram in a recent upload from a lift at his London home
He was then loaned out to Desna Chernihiv where he featured 11 times for the Ukraininan Premier League side, where, again, he failed to find the back of the net.
Following the arrival of Roberto de Zerbi in 2021, Mudryk began to find his feet at Shakhtar after the former recalled him from his loan spell.
It was in the Champions League where he really caught the eye during the 2022/23 season netting three times in Shakhtar's group stage games.
He also scored seven goals and added seven assists in 12 league games earning him Ukrainian footballer of the year.
That form saw him join Chelsea during the January 2023 transfer window for a fee of £88m.
He made his debut for the Blues in their 0-0 draw with Liverpool, where he impressed fans and pundits.
It wouldn't be until the start of February that he made his first start, and Mudryk had to wait until his 24th appearance to score his first competitive goal for the side.
Perhaps his most memorable moment in a Chelsea shirt so far came against Arsenal when his cross-cum-shot evaded David Raya to find the far corner in Chelsea's eventual 2-2 draw with their London rivals.
What has Mykhailo Mudryk said about the positive drugs test?
'I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to The FA contained a banned substance,' Mudryk posted 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. I cannot say any more now due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will as soon as I can (blue heart emoji)'.
Mykhailo Mudryk