Key Takeaways
- Mykhailo Mudryk has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to fight his four-year ban from football
- The Chelsea winger failed a drugs test for meldonium in October 2024 while on international duty with Ukraine
- The 23-year-old maintains the banned substance entered his system accidentally and he never knowingly broke anti-doping rules
Chelsea Football Club winger Mykhailo Mudryk is challenging his four-year suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Football Association imposed the ban after the Ukraine international failed a drugs test last year.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed on Tuesday that they received his appeal on 25 February. The Football Association, Chelsea, and the player’s legal representatives have all declined to comment publicly on the matter.
The failed test detected meldonium, a drug that is strictly prohibited in professional sport. Mudryk claims the substance entered his body by accident when he was with the Ukraine national team in October 2024. He insists he has never knowingly used any banned drugs.
The Football Association handed Mudryk a temporary ban in December 2024. At that time, the player stated the positive result had left him stunned and denied any wrongdoing. Chelsea began their own internal investigation shortly after the FA started their enquiry.
The Blues paid £88 million to sign Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023. He still has five years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge. His last appearance for the club came on 28 November 2024, when he scored in a 2-0 victory away to Heidenheim in the Conference League.
Since receiving his temporary suspension, Mudryk has trained with private fitness coaches away from Chelsea’s Cobham training ground. The club says it will allow the legal process to reach its conclusion without interference.
If the appeal fails, Mudryk could remain sidelined until the end of 2028. This would represent a major setback for both the player and Chelsea, who invested heavily to bring him to the Premier League from Ukrainian football.