Mykhailo Mudryk was suspended from competition by the FA in December 2024 after allegations of illegal doping. Until 2 months ago, the Ukrainian player again appealed. He said he was innocent and would bring the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to find a way to mitigate or cancel the penalty.
Mudryk's last appearance for Chelsea was in the 2-0 victory over Heidenheim in the Conference League on November 28, 2024. The match afterwards, also the last time he was registered to play, the 25-year-old striker sat on the bench in the match against Aston Villa. On December 17, 2024, the FA temporarily suspended Mudryk after he had a positive result in a periodic urine test.
At that time, the substance Mudryk was accused of using was meldonium. This was also the substance that caused Maria Sharapova to be banned from playing. The Russian "Tennis Queen" tested positive for meldonium immediately after this substance was banned. She said she used it for health reasons. Sharapova was initially banned from playing tennis for 2 years, but the penalty was reduced by CAS to 15 months after appealing.
Chelsea posted an announcement on their official website on December 17, 2024, announcing that the English Football Association (FA) had recently contacted Mudryk "related to an abnormal result in a periodic urine test sample". The club reiterated that all of their players are regularly checked and committed to "working with relevant authorities".
Immediately after that, in a statement on his Instagram account, Mudryk protested and affirmed his innocence. It was not until half a year later, in June 2025, that Mudryk was officially charged.
CAS confirmed that Mudryk had filed an appeal to the court on February 25, 2026, adding that the parties "are exchanging submitted documents and the hearing has not yet been scheduled".
Because the penalty for Mudryk has not been publicly announced before CAS confirms the striker's appeal, the FA has reiterated its policy of not commenting on ongoing cases. Chelsea also declined to comment. Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the London club wants the appeal process to proceed in the correct order.
CAS confirmed that Mudryk's lawyer and the lawyer representing the FA are exchanging documents submitted. This is the first phase of the arbitration appeal procedure.
During this period, both parties must agree on whether the appeal should be tried by a single arbitrator or a panel of arbitrators. In case the panel, each party is entitled to nominate an arbitrator from the CAS's list of arbitrators. The panel chairman is selected by the CAS.
After the written procedures are completed, a hearing may be scheduled, when both parties can present arguments, oral testimonies and expert evidence to the arbitrator or arbitration panel, who will then discuss before making a final decision.
CAS has established a dedicated anti-doping department to adjudicate and decide anti-doping cases under the World Anti-Doping Code. The entire process can take months.
Currently, Mudryk is following a specialized fitness program during his ban. Chelsea is still monitoring but is not allowed to arrange any organized training sessions for the Ukrainian striker.
Instead, Mudryk has added gym training in recent months by renting a 3G artificial turf field at Uxbridge club's Honeycroft stadium to help maintain his football skills. His own team has secretly hired coaches and goalkeepers to support individual training sessions.
Based on training videos spread on social networks, Mudryk has maintained an impressive physique, even when not participating in official matches. Mudryk still maintains good fitness and always sets high standards for himself in training sessions, maintaining high concentration even though he does not know when he will return to the field.
If Mudryk is officially convicted, Chelsea may cancel the contract and do not need compensation. The club will have to notify the striker 14 days in advance and pay Mudryk a salary within those 14 days. They will not have to pay the corresponding amount in the remainder of the contract, which is expected to last until 2031.
