Mykhailo Mudryk has officially rejoined Chelsea’s squad in Hong Kong, marking his return to competition after resolving anti-doping disciplinary proceedings with the Football Association (FA). The Ukrainian winger is one of seven new arrivals bolstering Xabi Alonso’s Blues squad for the Hong Kong leg of their pre-season tour, which includes a friendly against Juventus on Wednesday.
Mudryk arrived in Hong Kong on Monday and was seen participating in training. His return comes after a challenging period that began in December 2024 when he was provisionally suspended by the FA. This suspension followed an “adverse finding in a routine urine test” conducted during his international duty with Ukraine, which detected a low concentration of the prohibited substance meldonium.
In June 2025, Mudryk was charged with breaching the FA’s anti-doping regulations. A hearing in January initially resulted in a four-year ban, which would have sidelined him until December 2028. However, Mudryk appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
On Friday, it was confirmed that Mudryk had successfully resolved the appeal proceedings with the FA. He accepted the anti-doping rule violations and a period of ineligibility equivalent to the time already served, making him eligible to return to competition with immediate effect.
It was also highlighted that recent changes to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) rules mean that if Mudryk's sample had been collected today, the concentration of meldonium would not have been reported, and no anti-doping rule violations would have occurred. Mudryk reiterated that he had never knowingly or intentionally taken any banned substance, describing the period as “the most difficult period” of his career as he now looks to the future.
Manager Xabi Alonso expressed his happiness for Mudryk’s return following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by 10-man rivals Tottenham in the Sydney Super Cup. However, Alonso cautioned that it was “too early” to assess Mudryk’s fitness or potential game time.
Beyond Mudryk, Chelsea’s squad has seen several other significant additions. Portugal winger Pedro Neto and Belgian goalkeeper Mike Penders have returned from their post-World Cup holidays. Summer signing Geovany Quenda and American goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina have also joined the team in Hong Kong. Additionally, new set-piece coach Austin MacPhee has arrived with the squad from Aston Villa, succeeding Bernardo Cueva, who has transitioned into a new role under Alonso. Chelsea has also confirmed the signing of Jordan Henderson, though he remains on holiday after England’s run to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Henderson required arm surgery after a freak accident while celebrating a last-16 win over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca.
The bolstered squad is now preparing for their friendly match against Juventus at Kai Tak Sports Park on Wednesday.
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