Chelsea welcome Mudryk back into the fold
Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Chelsea want Mykhailo Mudryk as part of their team now that the Ukraine international is available to play again. The Football Association (FA) confirmed on Friday that anti-doping disciplinary proceedings against him had been resolved in agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Mudryk, 25, is no longer ineligible after being provisionally suspended since December 2024 due to a positive doping test for the prohibited substance meldonium. The winger can now return to competition with immediate effect.
Mudryk was officially charged by the FA with anti-doping violations in June 2025 before lodging an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in February 2026. In May of this year, the independent body confirmed that 'written submissions' had been exchanged and that a hearing had been scheduled. The four-year ban has now been overturned, and Mudryk, who has not featured in a competitive fixture for the Blues since November 2024, is once again available for selection.
Speaking to journalists at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia, Alonso shed further light on the matter.
We are happy for him, especially for him. Probably, we are not able to understand what we've been through in these moments. We want him to be a part of the team. He has the support of everyone.
Alonso continued:
It will take time, but once things have changed, things will start moving. He wants to play football and be part of the team; it must have been really hard for him. I watched him at Shakhtar (Donetsk), the impact he had, how good he is in one-v-one situations. He can create a lot of situations on his own. He's a special player. But it will take time, for sure.
The Blues boss added:
It's massive. To go through what he has done, to go through what he has gone through, it must have been really hard.
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It is understood that a crucial element in the decision to overturn the ban was WADA's alteration of scientific reporting standards. In an official statement, the FA confirmed that had Mudryk's sample been examined under the current technical standards, he would not have received a suspension, nor would any anti-doping rule violations have been registered.
Throughout the process, which lasted almost two years, Mudryk consistently maintained that he was unaware of taking a prohibited substance. Sources at Stamford Bridge indicate they have backed the Ukrainian, who joined from Shakhtar Donetsk for an initial £62million, plus a further £27m in bonuses, in January 2023.
It is understood that the player is now expected to travel to Hong Kong to link up with the Chelsea squad before Wednesday's pre-season friendly against Juventus.
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