Mykhailo Mudryk: Chelsea player appeals against FA drugs ban
Chelsea Winger Mykhailo Mudryk has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a four-year drug ban imposed by the Football Association.
The 25-year-old Ukrainian football player had been away from the field for approximately 18 months after a “negative finding in a routine urine test” led to his temporary suspension in December 2024.
Mudryk, who was charged in June 2025, was later handed a maximum four-year ban by the FA, according to a spokesman for the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the highest legal authority in sport.
The FA never disclosed details of the case.
In such cases, bans are usually backdated to the start of the provisional suspension, meaning the current return date would be around December 2028.
However, an appeal has been lodged with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in Switzerland and sources close to the player are hopeful he can return to action as early as next season.
In a statement to BBC Sport, Cas said: “Cas has confirmed that it has received Mykhailo Mudryk’s appeal against the FA on 25 February 2026. The parties are currently exchanging written comments and a hearing has not yet been scheduled.”
The BBC has learned that Mudryk came into contact with meldonium, a cardiovascular drug that can increase respiratory capacity and endurance, in October 2024, while serving with the Ukraine national team.
Mudryk, who joined Chelsea for €70m (£61m) in January 2023, has not played a competitive match since November 2024.
In his only statement to the press when the interim suspension began, Mudryk described his “complete shock” and said he had “never knowingly used a prohibited substance or violated any rules.”
Mudryk is being defended by Morgan Sports Law, which has worked with former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba during his doping trial while he was playing for Juventus, as well as investigations into boxer Tyson Fury and cyclist Chris Froome.
He is understood to want to return to playing football this year and has been keeping fit by training with a private coach at non-league Uxbridge FC and hiring goalkeepers to work with.
Chelsea refused to comment as they waited for the process to progress fully and the FA said it could not comment on ongoing litigation. Mudryk’s legal team has also been contacted for comment.
