Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk has failed a doping test, the club confirmed on Tuesday, as reports indicate the Ukraine international has been provisionally suspended.
The Premier League club stated they were notified by the Football Association (FA) regarding an “adverse finding” in a urine sample provided by the 23-year-old winger during routine testing.
“Chelsea Football Club can confirm that the Football Association recently contacted our player, Mykhailo Mudryk, concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test,” the club said in a statement.
“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.”
Mudryk addressed the situation in a statement on his Instagram account, expressing shock at the findings.
“I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to the FA contained a banned substance,” he said.
“This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules, and I 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.”
Under UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) regulations, athletes found to have taken a banned substance intentionally face a four-year ban. However, if a violation involves a contaminated product or specified substance, and the athlete can prove no significant fault, the penalty could be reduced to two years or less depending on the level of fault.
Mudryk has made 15 appearances for Chelsea this season, scoring three goals, including one in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Heidenheim in the Conference League on November 28—his last appearance before being sidelined. He has missed the club’s past five matches across all competitions.
The Ukrainian international joined Chelsea in January 2023 from Shakhtar Donetsk for a reported fee of £88.5 million ($112 million).
Chelsea, now under manager Enzo Maresca, sit second in the Premier League and top their Conference League group. The situation raises further questions for the club as investigations continue.
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