June 18, (THEWILL) – Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk faces a potential four-year ban from football after being charged with violating the England Football Association’s anti-doping regulations.
The 24-year-old Ukrainian international was provisionally suspended in December following an adverse finding in a routine urine test and has not appeared for the club since November 28, when he scored in a UEFA Conference League match against Heidenheim.
The FA confirmed that Mudryk has been charged with anti-doping rule violations relating to the presence and use of a prohibited substance under regulations 3 and 4 of their Anti-Doping Regulations.
Multiple sources reported that the player tested positive for meldonium, an anti-ischemia medication commonly prescribed in Eastern Europe for heart conditions but banned by the World Anti-Doping Authority since January 2016.
The substance can enhance endurance and recovery capacity in athletes.
Mudryk maintains his innocence, stating he has “never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules” and is working with his team to investigate the circumstances.
Chelsea released a statement supporting their player, confirming he “has categorically stated that he has never knowingly used any banned substances.”
The club excluded him from their Club World Cup squad in the United States, with his number 10 shirt reassigned to Cole Palmer.
Under FA regulations, anti-doping violations are treated as strict liability cases, meaning guilt is established if prohibited substances are found in a player’s system regardless of intent or knowledge.
The maximum penalty stands at four years, though sanctions can range from one month to the full term depending on mitigating factors.
Former tennis player Maria Sharapova received a similar meldonium violation in 2016, initially banned for two years before the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced it to 15 months.
The £62 million signing from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter at Stamford Bridge, scoring 10 goals in 73 appearances across two seasons.
Head coach Enzo Maresca had described Mudryk as “out” or “ill” in the weeks leading up to the anti-doping news breaking, with the player now awaiting the outcome of what could prove a career-defining case.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
