Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has now been formally charged by the Football Association after testing positive for the prohibited substance meldonium. This will carry a four-year ban under anti-doping rules.
The FA has confirmed that the charge relates to alleged violations in the wake of the results of an “A” sample last year. Their statement said:
“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.”
The Ukrainian has been unable to play since late 2024. He was not on the squad to feature in the Europa Conference League final or the Club World Cup squad.
In his defence, the 24-year-old has appointed Morgan Sports Law, whose services are also being employed in the case of doping against Paul Pogba. Pogba himself had also been initially suspended for four years, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced his suspension to 18 months later.
The banned drug meldonium was placed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list in 2016. It has been at the centre of several high-profile doping scandals, most commonly as a result of inadvertent consumption.
What Mudryk Has Said
Mudryk has never admitted to taking anything illegal throughout the investigation, speaking to the press in December:
“I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided… contained a banned substance. This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules… I know that I have not done anything wrong and remain hopeful that I will be back on the pitch soon.”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made it clear that the club are standing firmly behind Mudryk:
“We support Mykhailo and trust means that we believe Mykhailo. The club, the coaching staff and all of the people… support and trust Mykhailo. I think he is going to come back but we don’t know when.”
The decision can ultimately determine the course of the winger’s career. If found guilty, he might be out until 2029, wiping away some of his most essential playing years.