By Victor Kanayo
An English Premier League (EPL) star, Mykhailo Mudryk, who features for Chelsea, is now under provisional suspension after he failed a doping test.
This was disclosed by Chelsea on Tuesday in a statement.
The suspension, according to the club, was triggered after it was notified by the Football Association of an “adverse finding” in a urine sample provided by the Ukraine international, aged 23.
Chelsea Statement
Part of the statement reads, “Chelsea Football Club can confirm that the Football Association recently contacted our player, Mykhailo Mudryk, concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test.
“Both the club and Mykhailo fully support the FA’s testing programme, and all our players, including Mykhailo, are regularly tested.
“Mykhailo has confirmed categorically that he has never knowingly used any banned substances. Both Mykhailo and the club will now work with the relevant authorities to establish what has caused the adverse finding.”
Mudryk Response
Confirming the development, Mudryk spoke via his Instagram account, saying, “I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to the FA contained a banned substance.
“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.
“I know that I have not done anything wrong and remain hopeful that I will be back on the pitch soon. I cannot say any more now due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will as soon as I can.”
Season Performance So Far
Mudryk has made 15 appearances for Chelsea this season and last played in a 2-0 win at German side Heidenheim in the Conference League on 28 November, in which he scored his third goal of the season.
He has not featured in the past five matches in all competitions, with the club staying second in the Premier League and on top of the Conference League table.
Mudryk joined Chelsea for a reported £88.5 million ($112 million) from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023.
