Mykhailo Mudryk has not played for Chelsea since 2024 after a positive doping test and the winger could face a ban of up to four years
HEIDENHEIM, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 28: Mykhaylo Mudryk of Chelsea inspects the pitch ahead of the UEFA Conference League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 and Chelsea FC at Voith-Arena on November 28, 2024 in Heidenheim, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Mykhailo Mudryk has not played football since 2024(Image: Sebastian Widmann - UEFA, UEFA via Getty Images)
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Mykhailo Mudryk's spirits are low amid his continuing suspension, as he awaits a decision following a positive test for the prohibited substance meldonium, according to Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin.
The Chelsea winger hasn't appeared for the Blues since 2024 and was charged by the Football Association with anti-doping breaches. Mudryk is facing a ban of up to four years, though his sanction has yet to be announced, with the World Anti-Doping Agency confirming in November that they were still awaiting disciplinary proceedings from the FA.
Palkin, who witnessed Mudryk progress through Shakhtar's academy and secure an £88.5million transfer to Chelsea, is confident the Ukraine international's legal team will find a resolution to ensure the 25-year-old can get back on the pitch at the earliest opportunity. The executive continues to meet with Mudryk to offer his backing.
"For me, what has happened is a pity because I'd never seen a player like Mudryk," Palkin said. "I remember him from our academy.
"He was a hard worker, he was a tough guy and he trained much, much more than other players. He stayed after training.
"For me, it's a big pity what has happened because this guy did everything in his life to stay on the top level. It's not fair what's happened to him now, and I believe that his lawyers will find solutions and he will return to football as soon as possible.
"From time to time I arrive to London and I meet with him, and I support him because for me, it's very important that he feels that he has people behind him, who support him."
Recent weeks have seen Mudryk apparently stepping up his training regime in public view. The winger has been sharing individual training sessions on Instagram while working away from Chelsea.
Mykhailo Mudryk has been suspended since June 2025 and awaits a verdict
Mykhailo Mudryk has been suspended since June 2025 and awaits a verdict(Image: @mmudryk10 on Instagram)
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Mudryk enlisted a goalkeeper and a private coach to assist him in staying match-fit and hired out the 3G pitch at Honeycroft, home to Uxbridge, a Southern League Premier Division South outfit. Palkin disclosed that despite the player's downbeat spirits, he remains committed to maintaining his fitness levels daily.
"He is training, he's training by himself because the FIFA rules say you cannot stay in the camp," he said. "He dedicates almost the whole day to train and to keep himself in a good level, physically and mentally."
"The mood is not so good at this moment but he believes everything should be good and he will return to football as fast as possible."
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