Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk eligible to return after doping case resolved

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Matthew Judge | Editor

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk can return to professional football with "immediate effect" after the Football Association (FA) announced his doping case has been resolved.

The 25-year-old has not featured in a competitive match since November 2024 having been provisionally suspended after returning an “adverse finding” for banned substance meldonium.

Ukraine international Mudryk was subsequently handed the maximum four-year ban by the FA but he appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision.

In a statement on Friday, the FA said Mudryk is eligible to return to competition after English football’s governing body resolved the anti-doping disciplinary proceedings with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The FA statement reads: “The FA can confirm that the anti-doping disciplinary proceedings against Mykhailo Mudryk were resolved with the agreement of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on 30 July 2026.

“In the context of that agreement, Mr Mudryk has accepted his commission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) and accepted a period of ineligibility.

“Since then, changes have been made to WADA Technical Document (TD2027MRL) which, while not retroactive, mean that if Mr Mudryk's sample was collected today, the concentration of meldonium in the sample would not have been reported and no ADRVs would have resulted.


“Further to that development and to other circumstances of the case, The FA and Mr Mudryk have now - with the agreement of WADA - resolved the appeal proceedings in accordance with Article 10.8.2 of the World Anti-Doping Code and Regulation 90 of the 2024 Anti-Doping Regulations. As a part of the agreement, Mr Mudryk accepted that he had committed the ADRVs charged and acceded to a period of ineligibility equal to the time served at the date of the agreement.”

Mudryk 'grateful' to be able to return after 'most difficult period'

In a statement on Instagram, Mudryk said he was “grateful” the case has been resolved and thanked Chelsea for their support during “the most difficult period” of his career.

“I am grateful that this process has reached a conclusion, that I have been cleared to return to football and that I can now look ahead to my future," said Mudryk.

“As I have always maintained from the outset of this case, I have never knowingly or intentionally taken any banned substance. My commitment to competing fairly and representing my club and country with professionalism and integrity has always been important to me.

“I would like to thank my family and friends for their support and belief throughout this period.

“I also want to express my deep gratitude to everyone at Chelsea FC, my teammates and the Chelsea supporters who have been with me throughout.”

Chelsea focused on reintegrating Mudryk into their squad

Chelsea said they were “pleased” the case has been resolved and their focus is now on “supporting Misha’s reintegration into the squad and helping him resume his career”.

In a statement on their official club website, Chelsea said: “Chelsea FC acknowledges today's announcement by The Football Association confirming the resolution of the anti-doping proceedings involving Mykhailo Mudryk.

“From the outset, this has been an extremely difficult period for Misha, both professionally and personally, and we are pleased that the matter has now reached a conclusion which allows him to return to football with immediate effect.

“We have always supported Misha throughout this process while fully respecting the integrity of the anti-doping system and the legal process.

“Everyone at the Club now looks forward to helping Misha return to full fitness, back into the squad and back onto the pitch.”

Mudryk joined Chelsea from Ukrainian side Shakhtar in 2023

After emerging through Shakhtar Donetsk’s youth system, Mudryk made 44 appearances for the Ukrainian side, scoring 12 goals.

The forward then joined Chelsea for an initial €70million (£59.8m) in January 2023, and he has scored 10 goals in 73 games for the club.

His last appearance for Chelsea came in a 2-0 win over German side Heidenheim in the UEFA Conference League on 28 November 2024.

Mudryk has also received 28 caps for Ukraine, scoring three times.