Shakhtar Donetsk chief makes Mykhailo Mudryk point as Chelsea await doping verdict

Mykhailo Mudryk was officially charged by the FA with anti-doping violations in June 2025 and he's yet to receive a verdict.

Chelsea have been reassured that Mykhailo Mudryk is 'still a young player' ahead of a potential return to professional football. The Blues winger was provisionally suspended in December 2024 after testing positive for a banned substance called meldonium, which was administered abroad while away on international duty.

Mudryk was officially charged by the Football Association with anti-doping violations in June 2025. According to the English governing body's rules, he could be banned for up to four years if found guilty.

As it stands, it remains unclear when the Ukraine international's case will be closed, having already waited nearly a year. The suspension prevents Mudryk from training with his teammates or using the club's facilities.

In the meantime, the 25-year-old has been renting the 3G pitch at Honeycroft, just north of Heathrow Airport. The ground is home to Uxbridge, a Southern League Premier Division South side, and is only about 20 miles from Cobham Training Ground in Surrey.

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Mudryk has also been hiring a goalkeeper and a private coach to help him stay fit during the spell away from professional football. In a recent interview with Flashscore, the Shakhtar Donetsk sporting director leapt to the Ukrainian's defence.

Darijo Srna has insisted that Mudryk is 'still a young player', suggesting he could one day still fulfil his incredible potential. The Shakhtar chief said: "A lot of people said he wasn't worth the money. That's not true.

"Why would Chelsea pay that for him? Why did Arsenal want him? Why did the whole of Europe want Mudryk? The problem is that he arrived at Chelsea during one of their most difficult periods in 25 years.

"When someone pays €70million for you, they expect miracles, but football doesn't work that way. You can find many examples: [Alexander] Isak at Newcastle, [Jack] Grealish – I could list many. He's still a young player. Before Chelsea, he'd played maybe 10 or 12 Champions League matches."

In an interview with football.london last month, the Shakhtar Donetsk CEO provided an update on Mudryk's situation. Sergei Palkin said: "For me, what has happened is a pity because I'd never seen a player like Mudryk.

"I remember him from our academy. 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."

Palkin continued: "He is training, he's training by himself because the FIFA rules say you cannot stay in the camp. 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."