Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has failed a drugs test, the Premier League club confirmed on December 17.
Mudryk has not featured in the Blues’ past five matches across all competitions, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing his absence to illness.
However, reports emerged on December 17 that Mudryk had returned an adverse finding in a urine test and those have since been corroborated by the the player and his employers.
Here’s what we know so far about Mudryk’s failed test with the Football Association (FA) and what sanctions he might face.
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Mykhailo Mudryk fails drugs test: Latest updates
Reports emerged in the early hours of December 17 that Mudryk had tested positive for a banned substance, and Chelsea later confirmed the news in a statement published on their official website.
“Chelsea Football Club can confirm the Football Association recently contacted our player Mykhailo Mudryk concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test,” the club said.
“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. The club will not be commenting any further.”
What did Mykhailo Mudryk say about his failed drugs test?
Mudryk offered a response around the same time as Chelsea via a statement on Instagram where he protested his innocence.
“I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to the FA contained a banned substance,” the post 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.”
What did Mykhailo Mudryk test positive for?
Chelsea did not disclose the nature of the £89 million January 2023 signing’s alleged offence.
However, a report by The Athletic claimed he had tested positive for the banned substance meldonium, Former world No. 1 tennis player Maria Sharapova is the most notable sports person to have tested positive for the substance and was given a 24-month ban following an adverse finding in March 2016. This was reduced on appeal to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Is Mykhailo Mudryk banned?
Mudryk is now provisionally suspended under FA rules and will await the results from his B sample. It is incredibly rare for a B sample to contradict the results of the A sample as they are taken from the same specimen.
Under World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines, Mudryk could face a ban of up to four years. This was the punishment handed down to Paul Pogba in September 2023 before having his punishment reduced to 18 months via an appeal to CAS.
