Mudrykโ Shifts โFocus to Track Athletics Amid Dopingโข Suspension
LONDON – Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk, signed by Chelsea for a reportedโข โฌ100 million, is reportedly exploring aโ career in track athletics while serving a suspension stemming from aโ doping violation. The 24-year-old’s โคfuture in football hangs in theโ balance as he awaits the results of his “sample โขB” โขanalysis.
Mudryk’s fall from grace has beenโฃ swift. after joining Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, he’s scored 5 goals โคin 53 appearances across all competitions. His recent struggles on the pitch were compounded by a positiveโ dopingโฃ test following an โinternational duty with the Ukraine national team โขin November 2024.The Englishโ Football Association (FA) charged him with the violation in June 2025, leading to a ban from official โคcompetitions.
The case centers around an injection of stem cellsโข administeredโค byโ the Ukraine national teamโ physiotherapist, Igor Porobobi, during a training camp. โAccording to a report in Ball, the injection was intended to aid tissue regeneration.However, the procedure resulted in the โdetection of meldonium, a prohibited substance, in Mudryk’s system.โ
A positive result on his “sample B” could lead to a suspension ofโค up to four years, effectively derailing โhis football career. In the interim, mudryk is reportedly dedicating himself โคto training as a track athlete, leveraging his speed โฃand athleticism.
Previously linked โto Arsenal before opting for Chelsea, Mudryk’s last appearance for the blues was in a UEFA Conference โฃLeague match โฃagainst Heidenheim in November 2025. The โoutcome of his doping case will determine whether the expensive transferโ will be remembered asโข a costly misstep or a temporary setback.