Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed he has not spoken with Mykhailo Mudryk since the Ukrainian winger was officially charged with breaching the Football Association’s anti-doping regulations — though he insists the club continues to stand behind the player.
Mudryk, 24, was provisionally suspended by the FA in December after a routine urine test returned an “adverse finding.” He now faces the possibility of a four-year ban. The forward has denied any intentional wrongdoing, stating at the time that he was in “complete shock” and had “never knowingly used any banned substances.”
The winger, last seen in action for Chelsea in November, made a private appearance at the club’s UEFA Conference League final victory in Poland last month, where Maresca had a brief interaction with him.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
“I spoke with Mischa at the final in Poland,” Maresca said. “He seemed fine — not worried or down — but that was the last time we talked. Since then, I haven’t spoken with him.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Mudryk’s situation, Maresca reaffirmed his belief in the player, saying, “He’s a Chelsea player, and I trust all Chelsea players.”
Signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 for a fee potentially rising to £89 million, Mudryk is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2031. He has scored 10 goals in 73 appearances for the club but is currently barred from training while the investigation continues.