Chelsea star Mykhailo Mudryk has officially been charged by the Football Association (FA) for anti-doping violations after testing positive for meldonium back in November 2024. The banned substance, prohibited since 2016, is known for boosting stamina and improving oxygen supply and has been quite common in some Eastern European regions.
While Chelsea are preparing to host English powerhouse Liverpool in a few days from now, they won’t be needing the services of the Ukrainian; in fact, they have not been needing the winger midfielder, as the 24-year-old has already been under provisional suspension since December 2024 and now faces a formal charge announced on June 18, 2025.
If found guilty, Mudryk could face a four-year ban, though that could be reduced to between one and two years if it’s proven that he took it unintentionally.
Mudryk, however, has maintained his innocence, insisting he never knowingly consumed any banned substance. His legal team, Morgan Sports Law, is the same firm that handled Paul Pogba’s doping case. Pogba was initially slammed with a four-year ban in early 2024 for testing positive for DHEA, but it was later reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after they accepted his claim that the substance came from a prescribed supplement.
Like Pogba’s situation, Mudryk’s case appears to be heading down a similar path. He has the right to request a hearing before an independent FA panel, and if the ruling doesn’t go in his favour, he can appeal to CAS.
Based on the current timeline, a final decision might not come until late 2025 or even early 2026, which could mean a possible return to action by 2027 assuming the ban is shortened, Paul Pogba is not the only footballer to have faced this fate as Softfootball reported that Manchester United’s goalie André Onana, who is currently on loan, had suffered a similar experience.
Mudryk’s defence is expected to centre around “no significant fault or negligence”, likely arguing that the meldonium entered his system through supplements used during international duty.
Watch a video of one of Muydrk’s runs uploaded on Chelsea’s official X account:
For Chelsea, the situation presents a tough call. The club technically has grounds to terminate his contract for gross misconduct, but there are reports suggesting they might instead renegotiate his wages and hold onto him. Given his age still only 24, there’s a belief he could bounce back strongly. Pogba, after all, managed a return to elite football with Monaco after his reduced ban.
For Mudryk, the road ahead won’t be easy, but if history is anything to go by, this may not be the end of his story just yet.
