Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been provisionally suspended from football and could face a four-year ban after testing positive for a banned substance. The initial results from an A-sample provided in late October reportedly detected meldonium, a metabolic enhancer prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2016.
The 23-year-old, signed for a potential £88.5 million from Shakhtar Donetsk, is now awaiting the results of a B-sample test to confirm the findings. Meldonium is known to improve physical endurance by enabling the body to use oxygen more efficiently and quickly restore energy under physical stress.
Mudryk, who last played for Chelsea in a UEFA Conference League win on November 28, has denied knowingly using any banned substances. In a statement, he expressed shock at the result, saying, “This has come as a complete surprise, as I have NEVER knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules. I am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened.”
Chelsea has also issued a statement confirming its cooperation with the Football Association (FA) and full support for anti-doping protocols. “Both the club and Mykhailo fully support the FA’s testing programme,” the statement read.
If the B-sample confirms the initial test, Mudryk could face the standard WADA penalty of a four-year ban, though such suspensions have occasionally been reduced on appeal.
Meldonium gained public attention in 2016 when tennis star Maria Sharapova received a 15-month ban for testing positive for the substance. Similar cases in football, including Paul Pogba’s 18-month suspension earlier this year for using a performance-enhancing drug, demonstrate the severity of penalties for such infractions.
Mudryk’s absence from Chelsea’s matchday squads since December 1 had initially been attributed to illness by the club. The situation has drawn comparisons to the case of Adrian Mutu, a former Chelsea striker whose contract was terminated after testing positive for cocaine in 2004.
As the investigation unfolds, Mudryk and Chelsea face a critical juncture that could significantly impact the player’s career and the club’s plans moving forward.
