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Chelsea star Mykhailo Mudryk has been out of action for more than a year after a positive doping and Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin has spoken about the winger's mindset
Mykhailo Mudyrk's mood is not good amid his ongoing suspension, as he awaits a verdict following a positive test for the banned substance meldonium, according to Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin.
The Chelsea winger has not featured for the Blues since 2024 and was charged by the Football Association with anti-doping violations. Mudryk faces a ban of up to four years, but his punishment has not yet been revealed, with the World Anti-Doping Agency saying in November that they were still awaiting disciplinary action from the FA.
Palkin, who watched Mudryk come through Shakhtar's academy and earn a £88.5million move to Chelsea, believes the Ukraine international's lawyers will find a solution to ensure the 25-year-old can return to action as soon as possible. The executive still meets with Mudryk to show his support.
"For me, what has happened is a pity because I'd never seen a player like Mudryk," Palkin told football.london. "I remember him from our academy.
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"He was a hard worker, he was a tough guy and he trained much, much more than other players. He stayed after training.
"For me, it's a big pity what has happened because this guy did everything in his life to stay on the top level. It's not fair what's happened to him now, and I believe that his lawyers will find solutions and he will return to football as soon as possible.
"From time to time I arrive to London and I meet with him, and I support him because for me, it's very important that he feels that he has people behind him, who support him."
Recent weeks have seen Mudryk seemingly kick his training into gear publicly. The winger has posted individual training sessions on Instagram as he works away from Chelsea.
Mudryk hired a goalkeeper and a private coach to help him stay in shape and rented the 3G pitch at Honeycroft, the home of Uxbridge, a Southern League Premier Division South side.
Palkin revealed that despite the player's low mood, he is dedicated to maintaining his abilities every day.
"He is training, he's training by himself because the FIFA rules say you cannot stay in the camp," he said. "He dedicates almost the whole day to train and to keep himself in a good level, physically and mentally.
"The mood is not so good at this moment but he believes everything should be good and he will return to football as fast as possible."
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