Chelsea’s Mudryk cleared to play after nearly two-year doping saga

Mykhailo Mudryk, who has not played since November 2024, joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk for US$83 million in 2023. (EPA Images pic)LONDON: Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been cleared to resume his career after the Football Association (FA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) "resolved his appeal" against a ban for failing a doping test.Mudryk was suspended for four years after failing a 2024 drug test that revealed the presence of a low concentration of meldonium, a prohibited substance.The Ukraine international filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport and changes to WADA procedures in the interim mean that had his failed test produced the same result now, charges would not have been brought."Changes have been made, 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 anti-doping rule violations would have resulted," the FA said in a statement."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."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."Mr Mudryk is no longer ineligible and may return to competition with immediate effect," it said.Mudryk, who hasn't played since November 2024, joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk for £62 million (US$83 million) in 2023.The 25-year-old struggled to make an impact for the west Londoners prior to his ban, but will now have a chance to impress new Blues boss Xabi Alonso."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," Chelsea said in a statement."Misha has consistently maintained that he never knowingly or intentionally used a prohibited substance and did not know how traces of the substance entered his system."Throughout this process he has conducted himself professionally and with resilience during what has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging periods of his career."We know how much this opportunity to return means to him. By Adegboyega Adeleye Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been cleared to return to football immediately after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially upheld his appeal against a four-year doping ban, ending a case that has kept him out of competitive action since late 2024.

According to BBC Sport, the 25-year-old Ukraine international has not played a competitive match since November 2024 after being provisionally suspended by the Football Association over an adverse test for the banned substance meldonium while on international duty. Although he was later handed the maximum four-year ban, CAS ruled that he could return immediately after accepting a breach of anti-doping rules and agreeing to a suspension equal to the time already served. In a significant development, CAS said Mudryk’s sample contained a low concentration of meldonium and noted that subsequent changes to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) technical reporting standards mean that if the same sample were tested today, it would not be reported as a positive test.

“Had Mudryk’s test been conducted today then the concentration of meldonium in the sample would not have been reported and no adverse finding would have been recorded,” CAS said, as quoted by BBC Sport. The FA and Mudryk, with WADA’s agreement, subsequently resolved the appeal proceedings, allowing the winger to resume his career with immediate effect. Chelsea welcomed the decision, saying the club is looking forward to reintegrating Mudryk into the squad.

“We look forward to getting Misha back to full fitness, back into the squad and back on to the pitch,” Chelsea said in a statement. Mudryk is expected to join Chelsea’s pre-season tour in Hong Kong as he begins his long-awaited return under manager Xabi Alonso. The Ukrainian has consistently maintained throughout the process that he never knowingly or intentionally used a prohibited substance and did not know how traces of meldonium entered his system.

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