London: Mykhailo Mudryk is currently suspended and unable to play for either Chelsea or Ukraine after being charged with a doping offence by the Football Association. The 24-year-old winger joined Chelsea for an initial £61 million in January 2023 and has made 73 appearances for the club. He was provisionally suspended in December 2024 after a urine test provided a positive result for a banned substance, and was formally charged in June.

According to BBC, Mudryk came into contact with the cardiovascular medication meldonium while on duty with the Ukraine national team. This substance, which has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2016, can increase respiratory capacity and stamina. When asked to verify Mudryk's contact with meldonium, the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) did not deny the claim but insisted none of their staff members were involved. The UAF stated, "We are in close contact with Mudryk’s lawyers and provide them with all necessary information. We cannot comment further, as a non-disclosure provision is in effect."

Mudryk's legal team maintains that he did not knowingly ingest any banned substances. Multiple sources claim he has passed an unverified lie detector test attesting to his innocence. The winger expressed his shock on Instagram, stating, "This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules, and am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened."

The situation has sparked frustration in Ukraine, especially as their national team struggles in World Cup qualification without Mudryk. His former club, Shakhtar Donetsk, stands to lose a potential £26 million in add-ons agreed with Chelsea, but the club insists finances are not their primary concern. "We feel so sorry for him. We know he is 100% innocent - he will show that," Shakhtar's sporting director Dario Srna told BBC Sport.

Mudryk's future remains uncertain as the case progresses. If found guilty, he faces a potential ban of up to four years. The FA treats all doping cases confidentially, so details of the case's progression or outcome are not publicly available. Mudryk and his legal team could mount an appeal, with the possibility of a further appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Currently residing in London, Mudryk is training alone with a private coach and remains in good physical and mental health, according to those close to him. Chelsea is monitoring his progress but is limited in the support they can provide due to the terms of his suspension. The club is expected to wait for the case's outcome before making any public comments.