Mykhaylo Mudryk has been charged with breaching anti-doping rules after the Chelsea winger returned an 'adverse finding' from a urine test towards the end of last year
17:32, 18 Jun 2025Updated 17:33, 18 Jun 2025
Mykhaylo Mudryk is facing the prospect of a lengthy ban from football
Mykhaylo Mudryk is facing the prospect of a lengthy ban from football(Image: GETTY)
Chelsea star Mykhaylo Mudryk could be sidelined for a whopping four years after the FA charged him with doping. The Ukrainian winger got caught out by a routine urine test last year, showing an 'adverse finding' that's had him warming the bench since November.
Mudryk says he's innocent, claiming he never knowingly took any banned substances. He's been on provisional suspension while waiting for his 'B' sample results after the initial red flag.
Now, the FA's come down hard, officially charging him with breaking the anti-doping rules.
An FA spokesperson stated: "We can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged with Anti-Doping Rule Violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance, in terms of Regulations 3 and 4 of The FA's Anti-Doping Regulations. As this is an ongoing case, we are not in a position to comment further at this time."
If the FA throws the book at him, Mudryk might not lace up for a competitive match until 2029. The ex-Shakhtar Donetsk ace isn't taking it lying down though; he's roped in Morgan Sports Law, the same firm that helped Paul Pogba cut down a four-year ban to just 18 months, and Chelsea's backing him all the way, reports the Express.
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Mudryk has fiercely refuted any claims of misconduct after his positive test left him gobsmacked.
In a December Instagram post, the flanker shared: "I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to the FA contained a banned substance."
In shock, he added, "This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules, and I am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened."
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He remains confident in his innocence, stating, "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."
The Blues stepped up too, releasing their own comment: "Both the club and Mykhailo fully support the FA's testing programme and all our players, including Mykhailo, are regularly tested."
Firmly backing their player, they stated "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."