Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been formally charged by the English Football Association with breaching anti-doping regulations after testing positive during a routine drug test.
The 24-year-old Ukraine international has been sidelined since Nov. 28, following a provisional suspension issued in December when a urine sample returned an “adverse finding.”
Mudryk, who said at the time he was in “complete shock,” insisted he had “never knowingly used any banned substances.”
If found guilty, he could face a ban of up to four years under the FA’s anti-doping code.
In a statement Wednesday, the FA confirmed the charge: “We can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged with anti-doping rule violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance, in terms of regulations three and four of the FA’s anti-doping regulations.
“As this is an ongoing case, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.”
Signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, Mudryk reportedly tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance meldonium.
Chelsea launched its own investigation into the matter last year and had been awaiting the results of the B sample to confirm or refute the initial A sample findings.
Earlier this month, Mudryk’s No. 10 shirt was reassigned to Cole Palmer for next season, leaving the Ukraine international without a squad number at Stamford Bridge.
The positive test was returned shortly after Mudryk had been on international duty with Ukraine in November.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca initially said the winger was ill when asked about his absence from the squad for four matches prior to the suspension becoming public.
Mudryk last appeared in the Chelsea squad as an unused substitute during the team’s 3-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa on Dec. 1.
His time at Chelsea has been plagued by inconsistency, with erratic performances only occasionally offset by flashes of promise.
Mudryk has scored 10 goals in 73 appearances in all competitions for the Blues. He made only one Premier League start last season, in a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in August.
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