Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been cleared to resume competitive football with immediate effect after reaching a settlement with the Football Association (FA) over his doping case, bringing an end to a suspension that sidelined him for nearly two years.
The 25-year-old Ukraine international has not played a competitive match since November 2024, after being provisionally suspended following an adverse anti-doping test while on international duty.
Mudryk was initially handed a four-year suspension by the FA after testing positive for meldonium, a substance prohibited under anti-doping regulations.
The Chelsea winger appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). However, the case has now been resolved after he admitted to breaching anti-doping rules and accepted a suspension equivalent to the period he had already served.
As part of the agreement, the disciplinary proceedings have officially concluded, making the Ukrainian immediately eligible to return to professional football.
In a statement, the FA confirmed that Mudryk’s sample contained a low concentration of meldonium, a cardiovascular medication that is banned because it can improve endurance and respiratory performance.
The governing body also disclosed that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has since updated its technical guidance on meldonium testing.
Under the revised reporting thresholds, the concentration detected in Mudryk’s sample would not have been classified as an adverse analytical finding. However, the FA noted that the updated guidance cannot be applied retrospectively, meaning the original disciplinary process remained valid.
Reacting to the conclusion of the case, Mudryk described the suspension as the most challenging period of his football career and reiterated that he never intentionally violated anti-doping regulations.
“I am grateful to be able to return to playing after the most difficult period of my career,” Mudryk said.
“As I have always maintained from the outset of this case, I have never knowingly or intentionally taken any banned substance.”
The winger also thanked Chelsea, his teammates, family and supporters for standing by him throughout the lengthy disciplinary process.
Chelsea expressed satisfaction with the outcome and confirmed that Mudryk will rejoin the first-team squad immediately.
The Premier League club said it will support the winger as he works towards regaining full match fitness and revealed that he will be included in the club’s pre-season tour preparations.
Mudryk remains under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2031, having joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 in a transfer initially valued at £61 million.
