Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been officially charged by the Football Association (FA) over an anti-doping violation, with the Ukrainian star potentially facing a four-year ban from football.
The 24-year-old, who joined the Premier League club in a high-profile £89 million transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023, was initially suspended after testing positive for meldonium, a banned performance-enhancing substance.
In a statement released on Monday, the FA confirmed the charge:
“We can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged with Anti-Doping Rule Violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance, in terms of Regulations 3 and 4 of The FA’s Anti-Doping Regulations. As this is an ongoing case, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.”
Mudryk has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that he never knowingly consumed a banned substance. He is being represented by Morgan Sports Law, a firm known for handling high-profile doping and sporting legal cases.
Reacting to the initial suspension in December, Mudryk took to Instagram with a personal statement:
“This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules. I’m 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.”
The case is now under formal review, and Mudryk will have an opportunity to respond to the charge as proceedings unfold. His immediate future in professional football remains uncertain, pending the outcome of the FA’s investigation and any potential disciplinary hearing.
