Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk Cleared to Return After CAS Reduces Doping Ban
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been cleared to return to football after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced his doping suspension to time already served.
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been cleared to return to competitive football with immediate effect after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced his four-year doping ban to the period he had already served. The decision follows an agreement involving the Football Association (FA), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the player.
The 25-year-old Ukraine international was provisionally suspended in November 2024 after testing positive for meldonium, a substance listed on the WADA Prohibited List. The FA later imposed a four-year suspension, prompting Mudryk to appeal the decision before CAS.
CAS partially upheld the appeal after considering Mudryk's admission of the anti-doping rule violation, his cooperation throughout the investigation and changes to WADA's technical guidance.
According to the FA's anti-doping announcement, the concentration of meldonium found in his sample would not have been reported as a violation if the test had been carried out under today's updated WADA procedures.
Mudryk described the suspension as the most difficult period of his career.
"I am grateful that this process has reached a conclusion, that I have been cleared to return to football and that I can now look ahead to my future," he said.
Chelsea welcomed the ruling and confirmed the winger will immediately rejoin the club's pre-season tour. The Premier League side said it looks forward to helping Mudryk regain full fitness and return to the squad after supporting him throughout the legal process.
Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 in a deal reportedly worth up to €100 million. His return gives manager Xabi Alonso another attacking option ahead of the new Premier League campaign.