Mykhailo Mudryk cleared for Chelsea comeback after doping ban overturned

By SABC Sport
1st August 2026

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk is free to return to competitive football after the English Football Association confirmed that an agreement had been reached with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to bring his doping case to a close.

The Ukraine international had been serving a four-year suspension after returning an adverse analytical finding in an anti-doping test in October 2024. The ban, imposed by the FA in April and due to run until 2028, was under appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

However, the FA confirmed that it, Mudryk and WADA reached an agreement on Thursday to settle the appeal, allowing the 25-year-old to return immediately.

In a statement, the FA said: "As part of the agreement, Mr Mudryk accepted that he had committed the Anti-Doping Rule Violations charged and acceded to a period of ineligibility equal to the time served at the date of the agreement."

The governing body also explained that changes to WADA's technical guidance since Mudryk's test meant the same sample would not have resulted in a violation if it had been collected under the current rules.

The FA said: "If Mr Mudryk's sample was collected today, the concentration of meldonium in the sample would not have been reported and no Anti-Doping Rule Violations would have resulted."

Mudryk described the suspension as the toughest period of his career and said he was relieved the matter had finally been resolved.

"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.

"As I have always maintained from the outset of this case, I have never knowingly or intentionally taken any banned substance. My commitment to competing fairly and representing my club and country with professionalism and integrity has always been important to me."

Chelsea have backed the winger throughout the case and said they are looking forward to helping him return to action.

"We know how much this opportunity to return means to him," the club said.

"Everyone at the club now looks forward to helping Misha return to full fitness, back into the squad and back onto the pitch."

Mudryk will now aim to rebuild his career as Chelsea prepare for the start of the new Premier League season, with their opening match away to Fulham on August 24.