Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk Says He’s Innocent After Positive Drug Test
Mykhailo Mudryk, Chelsea’s Ukrainian forward, is standing firm after testing positive for a banned substance. The 23-year-old player insists, “I know I have not done anything wrong.” He got this news after a urine sample taken during a drug test last fall in the UK showed traces of a prohibited substance.
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Mudryk’s Suspension and His Take
Because of the positive test, Mudryk is temporarily suspended while they look into the matter. People close to him believe the result came from a tainted supplement. His second sample hasn’t been tested yet, but he’s hopeful this will be sorted out soon.
Mudryk spoke about it on Instagram, saying, “I can confirm that I found out my sample had a banned substance. This is shocking because I’ve never knowingly used anything wrong. I’m working with my team to find out what happened.”
He also said, “I know I haven’t done anything wrong and I’m hopeful I’ll be back on the field soon. I can’t say more now because of the process, but I will as soon as I can.”
Chelsea Stands by Mudryk
Chelsea Football Club has backed Mudryk, releasing a statement that they’re aware of the issue. They said, “Mykhailo has confirmed that he has never knowingly taken banned substances.”
Both Mudryk and the club are ready to work with the authorities to find out why the test came back positive.
Previous Tests and Ongoing Investigation
In August, Mudryk took another drug test that came back negative, suggesting this recent test is a one-off. The Football Association (FA) and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) haven’t commented yet. However, the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) warns that if a banned substance was taken knowingly, the player could face a ban of up to four years.
If it’s a specific substance or a tainted product and the player can show no major fault, then the penalty could be between a two-year ban and a warning.
Mudryk’s Time at Chelsea and Recent Games
Mudryk last played for Chelsea on November 28 in a Conference League match against Heidenheim, where he scored in a 2-0 win. He didn’t play in the Premier League game against Aston Villa on December 1.
He joined Chelsea in January 2023 for £88.5 million from Shakhtar Donetsk and signed on for eight and a half years. In April, news came out that he extended his contract for another year.
As the investigation goes on, Mudryk is focused on clearing his name and getting back to playing soon.
