Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been cleared to resume his football career with immediate effect after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reached an agreement that brought an end to his lengthy doping case.
The decision marks the end of one of the most difficult periods in the Ukrainian international’s career after he spent almost two years away from competitive football following a positive test for the banned substance meldonium.
Mudryk, 25, had not featured in a competitive match since November 2024 after returning an adverse analytical finding during a routine anti-doping test. He was initially handed a provisional suspension by the Football Association before reports later confirmed a four-year ban, a decision he challenged before CAS.
Following the appeal, CAS ruled that the winger could return to football immediately after accepting a breach of anti-doping regulations and agreeing to a suspension equivalent to the time already served.
The arbitration body explained that the sample contained only a low concentration of meldonium, adding that changes had since been made to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s technical guidelines for testing the substance.
According to the ruling, if Mudryk’s sample had been analysed under the current scientific standards, it would not have been reported as a positive test.
Chelsea welcomed the verdict, describing it as a positive outcome after standing by the player throughout the legal process.
The Premier League club noted that Mudryk had consistently maintained he never knowingly or intentionally took any prohibited substance and said it looked forward to helping him regain full fitness and reintegrate into the squad.
“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. Everyone at the club now looks forward to helping Misha return to full fitness, back into the squad and back onto the pitch,” Chelsea said.
Reacting to the decision in a statement shared on social media, Mudryk expressed relief after finally putting the case behind him.
“After a long battle, the four-year ban that was imposed on me has been rescinded and I am free to resume my career with immediate effect,” he said.
“I am grateful that this process has reached a conclusion, that I have been cleared to return to football and that I can now look ahead to my future.”
Describing the ordeal as the toughest period of his professional career, the winger reiterated that he had never knowingly taken any banned substance.
“As I have always maintained from the outset of this case, I have never knowingly or intentionally taken any banned substance. My commitment to competing fairly and representing my club and country with professionalism and integrity has always been important to me,” Mudryk stated.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk star thanked his family, friends, Chelsea teammates, supporters and legal team for standing by him throughout the legal battle.
“I would like to thank my family and friends for their support and belief throughout this period. I also want to express my deep gratitude to everyone at Chelsea FC, my teammates and the Chelsea supporters who have been with me throughout,” he said.
He added that his immediate focus was returning to football and making a meaningful contribution on the pitch.
“My focus now is on returning to football, working hard every day and making a positive contribution on the pitch. Thank you to everyone who continued to believe in me. I look forward to the next chapter of my career.”
Mudryk is expected to travel to Hong Kong this weekend to rejoin Chelsea’s squad as Xabi Alonso continues preparations for the new Premier League season.
The Ukraine international joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 on a long-term contract and will now be hoping to rebuild his career after nearly two years away from competitive football.
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