Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk expressed his shock after the Football Association informed him of a positive drug test.
Ukraine reported Tuesday that an “A” sample taken at the end of October contained a forbidden drug. The “B” sample, according to those same reports, has not yet been examined but will be in the next coming days.
If it is confirmed that Mudryk has used a prohibited substance, he might face a lengthy football ban of up to four years.
The 23-year-old Mudryk has been absent from the team’s last five games under head coach Enzo Maresca, who has blamed his absence on illness.
“I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to the FA contained a banned substance,” Mudryk posted to Instagram.
“This has come as a huge shock to me because I have never intentionally taken any illegal substances or broken any laws, and I am working hard with my team to determine how this occurred.
“I know I haven’t done anything wrong and am optimistic that I’ll be back on the pitch shortly. I can’t say much more right now because of the confidentiality of the process, but I will as soon as I can.
The statement read: “Chelsea Football Club can confirm the Football Association recently contacted our player Mykhailo Mudryk concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test. “Mykhailo is one of all our players who undergoes routine testing, and the club and Mykhailo completely support the FA’s testing policy. According to Mykhailo, he has never intentionally taken any prohibited substances. To determine what led to the unfavourable conclusion, Mykhailo and the club will now collaborate with the appropriate authorities. There will be no more comments from the club.
According to FA regulations, a player who receives notification of a positive test result may be placed on provisional suspension by his club while they await a right of reply and further testing of a “B” sample.
In January 2023, Mudryk moved from Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea for a possible £88 million transfer price. He has only started one Premier League game this season and just 26 overall, so his stay in England has been uneventful.
In the Europa Conference League, where Maresca has drastically altered his usual Premier League lineups, the Ukraine winger has been a mainstay.