Mykhailo Mudryk has failed a drugs test, his club Chelsea have confirmed. The Ukraine international maintains he has "never knowingly used any banned substance" after a routine urine test confirmed the presence of a so-far unconfirmed substance.
Mudryk has not featured since scoring in a 2-0 win over Heindeheim in late November, a five match absence which head coach Enzo Maresca put down to illness. Any breach of the English Football Association's anti-doping policy results in an immediate provisional suspension from the game.
It has not been confirmed when the winger's failed test took place nor the substance he tested positive for. However multiple reports both in Mudryk's homeland and the United Kingdom state that it was a performance-enhancing drug. Were this indeed to be the case then he would be facing a lengthy ban from football.
A club statement said: "Chelsea Football Club can confirm 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 program 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, 23, joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal worth up to $112 million in January 2023. Since his arrival the winger has struggled for form, delivering 10 goals and nine assists in 73 appearances across all competitions. Chelsea's financial commitment to Mudryk remains at six and a half years of wages and amortization costs estimated to be around £50 million.
"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," Mudryk wrote on Instagram.
"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."