CHELSEA star Mykhailo Mudryk has been provisionally suspended from football and could face a FOUR-YEAR ban after failing a drugs test.
The winger, who could end up costing the Blues £88.5m, provided a positive result for an A-sample in late October.
Mudryk and Chelsea are now awaiting the result of the B-sample, which will confirm the original test if it also comes back positive.
Ukrainian outlet Tribuna claims Mudryk has tested positive for meldonium, a banned metabolic substance similar to insulin.
It can apparently allow the body to “use oxygen sparingly and quickly restore energy to prepare for new loads of physical stress.”
Meldonium is widely used in Eastern Europe and has been on the banned list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2016.
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Tennis star Maria Sharapova was banned for 15 months after testing positive for meldonium at the Australian Open that same year.
But if confirmed by the B-sample, Mudryk could face a four-year ban from football – the standard initial punishment set by WADA for the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
The 23-year-old has already been provisionally suspended by the FA after they were made aware of his initial A-sample failure.
And Mudryk released a statement on Tuesday morning insisting he has never “knowingly used any banned substance.”
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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”.
What drug did Mudryk take?
By SunSport’s Joshua Jones
MYKHAILO MUDRYK returned a positive sample for a drugs test in October.
The Chelsea winger could face a ban for up to four years – because the drug was a performance-enhancing substance.
It is alleged Mudryk had the drug meldonium in his system.
Meldonium – aka mildronate – is a metabolic modulator similar to insulin and is widely used in Eastern Europe.
It is used in heart disease therapy but is also claimed to enable athletes to withstand greater stress, use oxygen more sparingly and restore energy levels quickly.
Meldonium was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency banned list in January 2016 following its high prevalence at the 2015 European Games in Baku.
Just months later, former tennis world No1 and Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova was banned for two years by the International Tennis Federation – although this was later cut to 15 months on appeal.
Sharapova had been taking the drug for ten years for various health issues and claimed she was unaware it had been added to the banned list.
Also in 2016, Russian boxer Alexander Povetkin was found to have traces of meldonium in his system before he was due to fight fellow heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder.
“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”.
Chelsea also released a statement insisting they and Mudryk will work with authorities.
It read: “Chelsea Football Club can confirm the Football Association recently contacted our player Mykhailo Mudryk concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test.
“Both the Club and Mykhailo fully support The FA’s testing programme and all our players, including Mykhailo, are regularly tested.
“Mykhailo has confirmed categorically that he has never knowingly used any banned substances.
“Both Mykhailo and the Club will now work with the relevant authorities to establish what has caused the adverse finding. The Club will not be commenting any further.”
How long are drugs bans in football?
By SunSport’s Joshua Jones
MYKHAILO MUDRYK could be banned for up to four years after failing a drugs test
But what are the rules regarding drugs in football?
There is a big difference between recreational drugs and performance-enhancing substances.
Recreational drugs – such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin, LSD and MDMA – carry a six-month suspension.
However, this ban can increase to up to two years if a drug is detected when a player is tested after a match.
But performance-enhancing drugs carry a far more severe punishment.
And crucially the alleged drug Mudryk tested positive for, meldonium, falls under that category.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code’s standard ban is four years.
That is how long Paul Pogba was suspended for following his failed drugs test – although it was later reduced on appeal to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The FA follows the UK Anti-Doping code under the WADA authority so will follow their lead and procedures.
Should Mudryk’s follow-up secondary ‘B’ sample also test positive, he is likely to be hit with at least an 18-month ban but it could be as high as four years.
The only person in football currently banned on the UKAD sanctions list for anti-doping rule violations is Craig Campbell.
The former Scottish striker was banned for four years in December 2022 after being convicted of dealing cocaine.
Mudryk has not played for Chelsea since scoring in the 2-0 Conference League win at Heindenheim on November 28.
He has also not been in a match-day squad since the 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League on December 1.
And the official reason given for Mudryk’s absence by his club was that he had been ill.
The Athletic claims the player intends to vigorously defend his position, which is that he did not take meldonium intentionally, amid an unverified suspicion of sabotage.
Two decades ago, the Blues saw Romanian striker Adrian Mutu banned from football for seven months in September 2004 after he tested positive for cocaine.
Mutu’s deal was terminated for breach of contract and Chelsea were eventually awarded £14m in compensation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
A year earlier, former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand missed a drugs test and was suspended for eight months.
While ex-United midfield Paul Pogba was banned for 18 months in August 2023 after testing positive for performance-enhancing substance DHEA, leading to the eventual termination of his Juventus contract.
Mudryk joined Chelsea in a big-money move from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023.
He struggled to make an impact in his first six months with no goals in 17 games.
And last season Mudryk managed to hit the target seven times in 41 outings.
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This term he has three goals in 15 matches, all of which have come in Europe.
But Mudryk continues to be a key player for Ukraine, winning 12 caps in 2024 to take his total to 28.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
