Mykhailo Mudryk could make his first appearance for Chelsea in 20 months on Wednesday, with manager Xabi Alonso confirming the Ukrainian winger is available for selection following the end of his doping ban.
Mudryk took part in an open training session with his Chelsea team-mates in Hong Kong on Tuesday at the Kai Tak Stadium, where he received the loudest cheer from local fans when he appeared on the big screen. Chelsea play Juventus in a pre-season friendly at the same venue on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old has not played for Chelsea since November 2024, when he started and scored away at Heidenheim in the Conference League. He was signed from Shakhtar Donetsk for £89million before being suspended from football after failing a doping test for the banned substance meldonium. His ban ended this week following a resolution with the Football Association.
Alonso on Mudryk's return
Speaking from Hong Kong ahead of the Juventus friendly, Alonso said Mudryk could play, though he suggested 90 minutes might be too early. He said Mudryk had trained the previous day having come straight from the airport to the hotel, with that session focused more on emotion than fitness assessment.
Alonso said the club were thrilled that Mudryk could be back with them, adding that his smile showed how much it meant to him after training alone for a long time. He said the priority now was building up Mudryk's fitness and helping him reintegrate with his team-mates.
Interest from other clubs
Daily Mail Sport reported this week that multiple clubs had approached Chelsea about Mudryk, including Coventry City, managed by Frank Lampard, who are among those interested in a potential loan move.
Chelsea say all options remain open, but want to assess Mudryk during pre-season first, a message that has been relayed directly to the player since his return.
Other Chelsea news in Hong Kong
Austin MacPhee, who has arrived from Aston Villa to become Chelsea's new set-piece specialist, was also involved in the open training session. Danny Welbeck, who signed from Brighton, is also in contention to face Juventus.
