close
Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo has reacted to the news of teammate Mykhailo Mudryk allegedly failing a drug test. The Ukrainian international has now been hit with a provisional suspension pending the extent of the investigation.
Mudryk hasn't featured in the Blues' match-day squad since their 3-0 Premier League game against Aston Villa earlier this month, where he was named as a substitute. While his presumed absence had initially been put down to illness, reports broke out this week that he actually failed a doping test.
Chelsea, however, did release an official statement to that effect on their official website, which read:
"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. The club will not be commenting any further."
Meanwhile, club teammate Tosin has revealed that neither he nor the rest of the squad were aware of the issue, as it also came as a surprise to them. During a press conference, he said, as quoted by 90Min:
"It's new news to all of us. We found out the same time as you guys. We still support Misha. Hopefully, things can get resolved. There is not much we can do in this situation, it's out of our hands. But Misha is part of our family, so we are here to support him."
The Blues will next be in action against Shamrock Rovers in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday, December 19.
"For sure he will come back" - Enzo Maresca offers support to Chelsea star
The Blues' head coach Enzo Maresca has thrown his weight of support behind Ukrainian international Mudryk, who has been alleged to have failed a doping test and has been hit with a provisional suspension.
Mudryk, 23, was said to have tested positive for a banned substance called meldonium while being out of the country and not with his club side, as reported by Sky Sports.
Maresca has revealed that while he doesn't know the exact time frame the player could be out of action, he does expect Mudryk to come back stronger. He said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano:
"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 joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2023 winter transfer window for a fee in the region of £62 million plus a potential £26 million in add-on bonuses. He has made a combined total of 15 appearances for the Blues this season, scoring three goals and registering a further four assists across all competitions.
Why did you not like this content?
Cancel Submit
Was this article helpful?
like selected
avatar selected
Thank You for feedback
Quick Links
More from Sportskeeda
Edited by Ritwik Kumar