He's Back! Mudryk Returns for Chelsea After Over 18 Months

Mudryk had been sidelined since late 2024 after failing a doping test during a national team training camp, which detected the banned substance meldonium. In January, the English Football Association (FA) imposed a four-year ban, and he appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in April.

Changes subsequently introduced to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) procedures mean that if he were tested now with the same result, no doping charges would be brought.

The Ukrainian received clearance to play from both WADA and the FA at the end of July. The FA confirmed that Mudryk admitted to the doping offense and accepted the penalty, which he has now served. During his ban, he was prohibited from training at Chelsea's facilities, so he hired a private coach and trained individually with goalkeepers and players at the seventh-tier club Uxbridge.

Mudryk's future at the London club remains uncertain, with British media reporting interest from Coventry City, managed by Chelsea's all-time leading scorer, Frank Lampard.

"We haven't made any decisions yet. Everything happened very quickly, so the most important thing now is for the individual to feel like he's part of the squad again. We need to evaluate the whole situation. However, he is an exceptional player and a unique case, so we must proceed sensitively," Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso stated ahead of Wednesday's match. The information was provided by DPA.