Mykhailo Mudryk had joined Chelsea for £89 million ($121m) in January 2023
Chelsea and Ukranine forward Mykhailo Mudryk has been officially charged by the Football Association (FA) for anti-doping violations after he tested positive for meldonium, a banned performance-enhancing substance.
The 24-year-old Ukrainian international was provisionally suspended in December 2024 following a routine out-of-competition urine test conducted after his return from international duty with Ukraine.
“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,” news18.com quoted an FA spokesperson as saying.
Meldonium, originally developed to treat heart conditions, was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list in 2016 due to its potential to enhance endurance and recovery.
Mudryk has denied any intentional wrongdoing, stating in December that the positive test result was “a complete shock” and asserting that he had “never knowingly used any banned substances.”
Under FA regulations, Mudryk faces a potential ban of up to four years. However, if he can demonstrate that the ingestion of the prohibited substance was unintentional, the ban could be reduced.
Mudryk, who had joined Chelsea for £89 million ($121m) in January 2023 but failed to live up to expectations of club owners and the management, is currently working with Morgan Sports Law, the same firm that represented Paul Pogba in his doping case.
Pogba saw his four-year doping ban reduced to 18 months on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Mudryk has not played for Chelsea since his provisional suspension in December last year and has been barred from training at the club’s facilities.
His last appearance was on November 28, 2024, in a UEFA Conference League match. Following his suspension, his shirt number 10 has been reassigned to Cole Palmer for the upcoming season following the England international’s scintillating form.
The FA, meanwhile, stated that, as this is an ongoing case, no further comments will be made at this time.
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