A promising football career is on hold for Mykhailo Mudryk, the 24-year-old Chelsea winger, who was formally charged with a doping offence by the Football Association (FA).
The provisional suspension, which began in December 2024, has sidelined him from both Chelsea and the Ukraine national team.
The positive test was for meldonium, a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2016. Mudryk, who joined Chelsea for an initial €70 million (£61 million), has maintained his innocence.
His legal team insists he did not knowingly ingest the substance, and sources claim he passed a lie detector test. The BBC has learned he may have come into contact with it while with the Ukraine national team, an assertion the Ukrainian Football Association did not deny.
His suspension has not only halted his career but has also led to disappointment in Ukraine. His former club, Shakhtar Donetsk, stands to lose a potential €30 million (£26 million) in add-on fees from his transfer, though they say they’re more concerned about the player himself.
The FA’s investigation is ongoing with no set timeline. If found guilty, Mudryk could face a ban of up to four years, though he could appeal the decision. In the meantime, he is training alone in London while he waits for a resolution.
