Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has officially been charged by the Football Association (FA) for breaching anti-doping regulations following a failed drugs test in December.
The Ukraine international was provisionally suspended late last year after an adverse finding during a routine urine test. Reports suggest the banned substance found was meldonium, a performance-enhancing drug.
Mudryk, who last featured for Chelsea as an unused substitute against Aston Villa on December 1, has maintained his innocence, stating he was in “complete shock” and had “never knowingly used any banned substances.”
Despite that, he could now face a potential ban of up to four years under FA rules.
In a brief statement, the FA confirmed the charge:
“We can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged with anti-doping rule violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance, in terms of regulations three and four of the FA’s anti-doping regulations. As this is an ongoing case, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.”
Chelsea, who signed Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, began their own investigation into the incident. Earlier this month, the club reassigned his number 10 shirt to Cole Palmer, signaling uncertainty around Mudryk’s future at Stamford Bridge.
The positive test result followed Mudryk’s international duty with Ukraine in November. At the time, manager Enzo Maresca attributed his absence from the squad to illness.
Since joining Chelsea, the 24-year-old has scored 10 goals in 73 appearances. His time at the club has been marked by inconsistency, with only brief glimpses of the potential that earned him a high-profile move to the Premier League.
