On the evening of December 17, the Premier League announced that Mykhailo Mudryk had tested positive for a banned substance after a urine test. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian striker's side still insisted that he had not used any illegal substances. The 100 million Euro star said on social media that he was still actively working with the parties to reach a final conclusion.
According to The Athletic, several sources revealed that Mudryk tested positive for meldonium in November, after returning from the national team at the FIFA Days. Meldonium was the substance that caused the "tennis queen" Maria Sharapova to have the biggest scandal of her career and had to stop competing for a while.
As for Chelsea, the London team issued a statement almost immediately after the results were announced. The Blues said they fully support this conclusion from the FA and the Premier League. In addition, the team will actively work with Mudryk to find the most accurate conclusion soon. For now, the 23-year-old striker has been temporarily suspended from playing.
FA regulations state very clearly that any violation will be dealt with very seriously. If a banned substance is discovered, it is meaningless for the player to prove that he used it intentionally or unintentionally. The player being accused of intentionally or unintentionally using a banned substance has no value in this case.
If the FA determines that the player has used the drug and all tests come to the same conclusion, the maximum penalty for the offending player can be up to 4 years. In some cases, the penalty can be reduced to 2 years, or even just 1 month depending on the severity of the behavior and the nature of the case.
Mudryk has not played for Chelsea since the UEFA Conference League win over Heidenheim on 28 November. At the time, to explain this, captain Enzo Maresca said the Ukrainian striker was ill. Looking further, since joining Chelsea in January 2023, Mudryk has only started 40 matches in all competitions, including 26 in the Premier League. In addition, he has appeared on the bench 33 times.
Mudryk was a huge disappointment before Maresca arrived. Under the new Italian captain, the 23-year-old striker has had 3 goals and 5 assists since the beginning of the season despite playing very little time in the Premier League (146 minutes).
This punishment, if handed down, could deprive Mudryk of his entire future and career. After a difficult time, he has now escaped the label of being useless at Stamford Bridge. Mudryk is the first backup option for Jadon Sancho on the left wing. Under Maresca, he has shown his usefulness every time he has entered the field. Since the beginning of the season, in the Premier League, Mudryk has played 7 times, all as a substitute.
Although Chelsea has many players, but in the left wing position alone, without Mudryk, Maresca will have a lot of difficulty rotating players.
