Chelsea have firmly established themselves as title challengers for the 2024/25 Premier League title and are now in touching distance of league leaders Liverpool. Amid their impressive form, the club received an unnecessary setback with winger Mykhailo Mudryk being handed a suspension for allegedly failing a doping test.
Chelsea Give Response To Mykhailo Mudryk Dope Test Suspension
What Happened With Mudryk?
The Ukranian winger got into some trouble and has been provisionally suspended after the Football Association (FA) informed him of a positive drug test recently. In an official statement on the matter, Chelsea had stated:
“Chelsea Football Club can confirm the Football Association recently contacted our player Mykhailo Mudryk concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test. 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.”
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Mudryk will now have to prove his innocence or else he could face a significant time out of action from football. His case has similarities to how former Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba was initially banned for four years after a banned testosterone substance was found on his system, only for his suspension period to be brought down to 18 months.
Enzo Maresca Reflects On Mudryk Suspension
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has now reflected on seeing his left-winger banned from football for this controversy, as he insists that everyone at the club is firmly backing Mudryk and hoping to get him out of his debacle soon. He stated:
“We all support Misha Mudryk. The situation is a bit more clear. We have a statement from the club, who have already said what we need to say. So there is not anything to add. All the players inside the training ground support and trust Misha.
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Maresca also added: “We all believe Mudryk is innocent. For sure he will come back. I don’t think Misha’s Chelsea career is over. I think he will come back. “We don’t know when, that is the only doubt we have in this moment. But for sure, he will be back.” Mudryk, who is rumoured to be earning a £130,000-a-week wage package at Chelsea and is contracted to the club until 2031, scored three goals and provided five assists in 15 appearances for the Blues before his suspension.