Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been provisionally suspended after failing a routine doping test, the club confirmed on Tuesday.
The Premier League side revealed that the Football Association (FA) notified them of an “adverse finding” in the 23-year-old’s urine sample.
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“Chelsea Football Club can confirm that the Football Association recently contacted our player, Mykhailo Mudryk, concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test,” the club stated.
“Both the club and Mykhailo fully support the FA’s testing programme and all our players, including Mykhailo, are regularly tested. 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.”
Mudryk, through his Instagram account, expressed shock over the development and maintained his innocence.
“I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to the FA contained a banned substance,” Mudryk said.
“This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules, and am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened. 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.”
Under UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) rules, athletes face a ban of up to four years if found guilty of intentionally taking banned substances. However, if the violation involves a contaminated product or specified substance, and the player can prove no significant fault, the punishment could range from a reprimand to two years of ineligibility, depending on the circumstances.
Mudryk, who joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk for £88.5 million ($112 million) in January 2023, has made 15 appearances this season, scoring three goals. His last match came in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Heidenheim in the Conference League on November 28, where he scored.
The Ukrainian has since missed Chelsea’s past five matches in all competitions.
Despite Mudryk’s absence, Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea remains competitive, sitting second in the Premier League standings and topping the Conference League group.
The investigation into the failed test is ongoing, with both Mudryk and Chelsea cooperating fully with the authorities.
