Mykhailo Mudryk’s doping ban has been lifted with immediate effect, Chelsea and the World Anti-Doping Agency have confirmed, ending a case that has kept the Ukrainian winger out of football since November 2024.
The 25-year-old, who cost Chelsea £89 million when he joined from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, is now expected to link up with his club teammates on their pre-season tour, most likely from their stop in Hong Kong after the squad leaves Sydney this weekend.
How the ban was resolved
Mudryk tested positive for a low concentration of meldonium following an out-of-competition doping control on October 22, 2024. The Football Association notified him of the finding on December 4, 2024 and imposed a provisional suspension. He was formally charged in May 2025, and a hearing before an independent Regulatory Commission in January 2026 resulted in a four-year ban.
Mudryk appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. During those proceedings, WADA updated its technical document on minimum reporting levels, raising the threshold for meldonium to provide greater confidence that samples reported as positive genuinely exceed that level. Laboratories use a qualitative method that estimates rather than precisely measures concentrations.
The FA stated that under the new technical requirements, the concentration found in Mudryk’s sample would not have been reported as a positive test and no anti-doping rule violations would have resulted. In light of that development and other circumstances, the FA and Mudryk reached an agreement with WADA’s approval under Article 10.8.2 of the World Anti-Doping Code. As part of the agreement, Mudryk accepted that he had committed the violations charged but received a period of ineligibility equal only to the time already served.
Mudryk and Chelsea respond
Mudryk posted on Instagram that after a long battle, the four-year ban imposed on him had been rescinded and he was free to resume his career with immediate effect. He said the preceding period had been the most difficult of his career and thanked his family, friends, legal team, Chelsea, his teammates and supporters for their backing. He added that he had always maintained he never knowingly or intentionally took any banned substance and that his focus was now on returning to football and making a positive contribution on the pitch.
Chelsea said in a statement that they were pleased the matter had reached a conclusion allowing Mudryk to return with immediate effect. The club welcomed the acknowledgement that advances in scientific reporting standards meant his sample, if collected today, would not have been flagged as a positive test. Chelsea said Mudryk had consistently maintained he never knowingly used a prohibited substance and had conducted himself professionally and with resilience throughout the process.
The precise source of the meldonium exposure has never been fully identified. It is believed to have occurred away from England while Mudryk was on international duty with Ukraine in September 2024.
What comes next
Mudryk’s last appearance for Chelsea came in November 2024, a Conference League match away at Heidenheim in which he scored in a 2-0 win. Whether he will remain at the club for the 2026-27 season has not yet been confirmed. Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso was due to speak after the club’s pre-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur in Sydney on Saturday, which kicks off at 7.45pm local time.
Chelsea said their focus was now entirely on supporting Mudryk’s reintegration into the squad and helping him return to full fitness.
