Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk appeals against 4-year doping ban: Details
What's the story
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after being handed a four-year ban by the Football Association (FA) for doping. The appeal was filed on February 25, and CAS has confirmed its receipt. Neither the FA nor Chelsea or Mudryk's lawyers have commented on this matter yet. The FA charged Mudryk in June 2025 and he hasn't played a competitive match since November 2024.
Incident details
The positive test was for the banned substance meldonium
Chelsea signed Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 for a fee that could rise to £89 million and he still has five years left on his contract. The positive test was for the banned substance meldonium, which was taken abroad when Mudryk wasn't on Chelsea duty. He had represented Ukraine in Albania and Georgia in November 2024.
Suspension details
Mudryk called his failed drug test a complete shock
After failing a drugs test, Mudryk was provisionally suspended by the FA in December 2024. In a statement at the time, he called his failed drug test "a complete shock" and maintained that he had "not done anything wrong." Chelsea launched their own investigation shortly after the FA's began, with Mudryk insisting he "has never knowingly used any banned substances."
Career impact
Mudryk's last appearance for Chelsea
Mudryk's last appearance for Chelsea was a 2-0 victory over German side Heidenheim in the UEFA Conference League on November 28, 2024. Now, 16 months after his initial suspension, he maintains his innocence. He has been staying fit by training with personal trainers away from Chelsea's Cobham training ground. Chelsea will let the process take its full course. The player is contracted with the club until June 2031 and has scored 10 goals in 73 appearances across all competitions.