Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been temporarily suspended from football after failing a drug test.
The Ukrainian faces a four-year ban after testing positive for an A-sample in late October.
Chelsea and Mudryk are currently awaiting the results of the B-sample, which, if positive, will confirm the initial test.
Tribuna, a Ukrainian outlet, reported that the £88.5 million Blues attacker tested positive for meldonium, a prohibited insulin-like metabolic drug that helps the body “restore energy quickly and use oxygen sparingly to prepare for new loads of physical stress.”
Meldonium has been prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2016 and is commonly used in Eastern Europe.
Mudryk could receive a four-year football ban, the standard first penalty imposed by WADA for using performance-enhancing drugs, if the B-sample is confirmed.
The FA had previously placed the 23-year-old on provisional suspension after learning of his initial A-sample failure.
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On Tuesday morning, Mudryk reiterated in a statement that he had never “knowingly used any banned substance.”
As quoted by Sunsport, he said,
“I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to The FA contained a banned substance.
“This has come as a complete shock, as I have NEVER knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules, and am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened.
“I know that I have not done anything wrong and remain hopeful that I will be back on the pitch soon.
“I cannot say any more now due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will as soon as I can.”
This latest development adds to the winger’s struggles, having failed to impress since his mega-money move to Chelsea in the winter transfer window of 2023.
