Chelsea FC has confirmed it will cooperate with the relevant authorities to investigate why Mykhailo Mudryk tested positive for a banned substance.
The investigation aims to determine why Premier League player Mykhailo Mudryk tested positive for mildronate, a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2016.
Notably, in 2016, Sweden’s Abebe Aregawi, the 2013 women’s 1500m world champion, was provisionally suspended after mildronate, also known as meldonium, was found in her ‘A’ sample.
Additionally, former world tennis number one Maria Sharapova admitted to taking the banned substance.
In a statement, Chelsea said: “Both the Club and Mykhailo fully support The FA’s testing programme and all our players, including Mykhailo, are regularly tested. Mykhailo has confirmed categorically that he has never knowingly used any banned substances.
“Both Mykhailo and the Club will now work with the relevant authorities to establish what has caused the adverse finding.
“The Club will not be commenting any further.”
The test is said to have been taken at the end of October and will now be followed by an examination of his ‘B’ sample. At this moment in time, Mudryk will be placed under a provisional suspension.
The Chelsea forward wrote on social media: “I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to The FA contained a banned substance. 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.”
Insider Sport has contacted the FA for comment.
Drug failures are less common in top-level football than in other sports. However, this year, French midfielder Paul Pogba was banned for four years, a sentence later reduced to 18 months in October.