Mykhailo Mudryk, once one of Chelsea’s most expensive signings, is making headlines again — not for a dazzling performance on the pitch, but for a heartfelt plea to supporters as he fights to return from a lengthy doping suspension that has kept him out of action for over a year.
The 24-year-old Ukrainian winger, signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 in a deal worth up to £88 million, has barely featured for Chelsea since late 2024. His last competitive appearance came on 28 November 2024 in a UEFA Conference League match against Heidenheim. Shortly after, Mudryk received notification that a routine anti-doping test had produced a positive result for a banned substance, later identified in reports as meldonium — a substance prohibited under World Anti-Doping Agency rules.
Following the adverse test result, the Football Association provisionally suspended Mudryk in December 2024, before formally charging him with anti-doping violations in June 2025 under its regulations. If found guilty at the end of the disciplinary process, he could face a ban of up to four years, a punishment that would be career-altering at this stage of his development.
Since that time, Mudryk has been absent from the Chelsea squad, unable to train at the club’s facilities and instead maintaining fitness with individual work while waiting for a final verdict. There has been no definite timeline set for when the FA will conclude its case, leaving fans and pundits alike grappling with uncertainty over his future.
Despite this uncertainty and the emotional toll it has taken, Mudryk has remained defiant and optimistic in his own way. On New Year’s Day 2026, he took to social media with a personal message of gratitude and hope — thanking fans for their continued messages of support and urging them not to give up on him as he continues to fight the case. “Please don’t give up on me as I not give up on myself,” he wrote, also expressing his eagerness to “see you soon.”
The plea resonated across fan communities and social platforms, where many supporters have voiced their steadfast backing for the player despite his struggles. Online, Blues fans have rallied behind Mudryk, emphasising loyalty and a belief in his innocence as he seeks to clear his name and return to action.
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