Chelsea Manager Enzo Maresca Affirms Club’s Trust in Mykhailo Mudryk Amidst Doping Suspension

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has stated that the club “trust” Mykhailo Mudryk did not knowingly consume a banned substance, which led to him failing a drugs test. Mudryk has made 15 appearances under Maresca this season. The Ukraine international has been provisionally suspended by the Football Association (FA) after a routine urine test provided by Mudryk returned an “adverse finding.” The 23-year-old, who is unable to play for or train with the club during his suspension, denies knowingly using a banned substance. Maresca expressed his hope for the winger’s swift exoneration. He stated, “We support Mykhailo and trust means that we believe Mykhailo.” Maresca further emphasized, “The club, the coaching staff and all of the people that are inside the training ground – we support and we trust Mykhailo.” Regarding Mudryk’s future, he added, “I think he is going to come back but we don’t know when. But for sure he is going to come back.” Since the public announcement of the suspension, Maresca has communicated with Mudryk. Additionally, the Professional Footballers’ Association is anticipated to reach out to the winger to provide assistance. Maresca commented on the necessity of support in such situations, stating, “Any kind of player that this kind of things happens to, they need support, you would need support and I would need support.” He also remarked, “It is not about his age or the country that he comes from.” Mudryk, who joined Chelsea from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023 for a transfer fee potentially reaching £89m, has accumulated 10 goals across 73 appearances for the London club. The player has been absent from the last five matches across all competitions, with Maresca having previously stated publicly that Mudryk’s absence was due to illness. Under Fifa guidelines, athletes proven to have deliberately consumed a prohibited substance face potential bans of up to four years.