Mykhailo Mudryk Cleared To Play For Chelsea Again As Doping Case Resolved | OneFootball

Mykhailo Mudryk is available to play for Chelsea again after almost two years away. Video Credit: Absolute Chelsea

Mykhailo Mudryk is now cleared to return to play for Chelsea after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially upheld his appeal against a four-year ban for doping.

Mudryk has served a suspension for a doping case involving an anti-ischemic drug, Meldonium, since December 2024.

This is after the Ukraine international was subject to an out-of-competition doping test that took place on October 22nd 2024.

Mudryk was provisionally suspended on December 17th 2024, before being charged in May 2025.

His last appearance for Chelsea came back in 2024 when the Blues beat Heidenheim in the Conference League on November 28.

However, following an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the winger is now available to return to the football pitch.

Mudryk is now cleared to play for Chelsea again. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

"The FA can confirm that the anti-doping disciplinary proceedings against Mykhailo Mudryk were resolved with the agreement of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on 30 July 2026. In the context of that agreement, Mr Mudryk has accepted his commission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) and accepted a period of ineligibility.

"On 22 October 2024, Mr Mudryk was subject to an out-of-competition doping control, which revealed the presence of a low concentration of meldonium, a prohibited substance. The FA notified Mr Mudryk of that finding on 4 December 2024 and imposed a provisional suspension. On 23 May 2025, The FA charged Mr Mudryk with ADRVs in breach of Regulations 3 and 4 of its 2024 Anti-Doping Regulations.

"On 7 to 9 January 2026, a hearing took place before an independent Regulatory Commission. The Regulatory Commission found that Mr Mudryk had committed the charged ADRVs and imposed a four-year period of ineligibility. Subsequently, Mr Mudryk filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"Since then, changes have been made to WADA Technical Document (TD2027MRL) which, while not retroactive, mean that if Mr Mudryk's sample was collected today, the concentration of meldonium in the sample would not have been reported and no ADRVs would have resulted.

"Further to that development and to other circumstances of the case, The FA and Mr Mudryk have now - with the agreement of WADA - resolved the appeal proceedings in accordance with Article 10.8.2 of the World Anti-Doping Code and Regulation 90 of the 2024 Anti-Doping Regulations. As a part of the agreement, Mr Mudryk accepted that he had committed the ADRVs charged and acceded to a period of ineligibility equal to the time served at the date of the agreement.

"Mr Mudryk is no longer ineligible and may return to competition with immediate effect."

Chelsea offered a full statement following the confirmation of Mudryk's return.

"Chelsea FC acknowledges today's announcement by The Football Association confirming the resolution of the anti-doping proceedings involving Mykhailo Mudryk.

"From the outset, this has been an extremely difficult period for Misha, both professionally and personally, and we are pleased that the matter has now reached a conclusion which allows him to return to football with immediate effect.

"We have always supported Misha throughout this process while fully respecting the integrity of the anti-doping system and the legal process.

"We welcome the acknowledgement that advances in the applicable scientific reporting standards for more reliable testing mean that, had Misha's sample been analysed under today's technical requirements, it would not have been reported as a positive test and no anti-doping rule violation would have resulted. That is an important part of the context surrounding the agreed resolution and allows everyone involved to move forward.

"Misha has consistently maintained that he never knowingly or intentionally used a prohibited substance and did not know how traces of the substance entered his system. Throughout this process he has conducted himself professionally and with resilience during what has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging periods of his career.

"We know how much this opportunity to return means to him. Our focus now is on supporting Misha’s reintegration into the squad and helping him resume his career.

"Chelsea FC remains fully committed to the highest standards of sporting integrity and compliance with all anti-doping regulations.

"Everyone at the Club now looks forward to helping Misha return to full fitness, back into the squad and back onto the pitch."

What next for Mudryk?

The 25-year-old is now free to return to playing football with immediate effect.

This will see him link up with the Chelsea squad for their pre-season tour of Asia, which begins in Hong Kong with a fixture against Juventus on August 5, bolstering new manager Xabi Alonso's attack.

It remains unclear whether Alonso would have factored the Ukrainian into his plans in west London, but Mudryk's return will give him a chance to look at the winger to decide his fate ahead of the upcoming season.

Chelsea have already added to their attack this summer with the additions of Geovany Quenda and Morgan Rogers.

Mudryk has been pictured keeping fit and working with the ball during his time away from the club, meaning he won't be starting from scratch when he returns to training. But it is unclear how long it would take for Mudryk to get back up to the high-level speed of the Premier League.

Given Chelsea's links to RC Strasbourg, also owned by BlueCo, could it be a potential option for him to head to France?

With four games left to play in pre-season once Chelsea conclude their tour of Australia, Mudryk will be desperate to get back on the field to showcase what he can do to give Alonso a decision to make over his role in the team next season.

For now, Mudryk's focus will be on resuming his career and getting back on track. That now starts with Chelsea in Hong Kong, and the rest will fall into place in time.