War with Russia a reason for Mudryk's horrid Chelsea start

Carlo Garganese

• 28 Mar 2023 08:36 BST
• 3 min read

Mykhailo Mudryk deserves more time and patience following his underwhelming start to life at Stamford Bridge, according to the Evening Standard's respected Chelsea journalist Nizaar Kinsella.

Mudryk joined Chelsea for €100 million in January after the Blues hijacked Arsenal's deal for the Ukrainian winger.

However, the wideman has endured a miserable first couple of months at Chelsea.

He has managed no goals and just one assist in seven appearances amidst a string of poor performances.

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But Kinsella believes that critics should be more understanding and explains the hurdles Mudryk has had to encounter as he tries to settle into life in England.

This includes Russia's war with Ukraine, which has been waged for over a year.

What did Kinsella say about Mudryk?

“Mudryk has made an underwhelming start at Chelsea since signing for £88.5million from Shakhtar Donetsk in January, but deserves some understanding," Kinsella wrote in the Evening Standard.

“He has played less than 100 career matches, earned just his 10th cap on Sunday and arrived in the Premier League having not played for more than two months.

“Mudryk did his first UK interview on Saturday in broken English where he revealed he calls his Ukraine-based parents daily. He said: ‘I ask them what is happening, what the situation is now and how they are. Everything about what the situation is like in our country.’

“Like the rest of his countrymen, Mudryk is a man affected by Russia’s invasion and deserves time and patience.”

Mudryk produced another disappointing performance on Sunday during Ukraine's 2-0 defeat to England at Wembley.