Chelsea footballer Mykhailo Mudryk has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport following a four-year ban imposed by the Football Association due to a doping offense. The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed receipt of the appeal on February 25, although the FA, Chelsea, and Mudryk's lawyers have declined to comment. Mudryk was signed by Chelsea for £88m from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 and still has five years remaining on his contract.
The doping offense involved the prohibited substance meldonium, which Mudryk claims may have contaminated his sample while on international duty with Ukraine in October 2024. After a provisional suspension by the FA in December 2024, Mudryk expressed his shock and denied any wrongdoing.
Chelsea initiated its own investigation and stated that Mudryk insisted he had never knowingly used banned substances. The Ukraine international last played for Chelsea in November 2024 and has been maintaining his fitness with personal trainers away from the team's training ground. Chelsea will allow the appeal process to unfold.
According to Sky Sports News chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol, the only confirmation of the ban came from CAS, as the FA, Chelsea, and Mudryk's lawyers have maintained confidentiality. If Mudryk loses his appeal, he may be unable to play until the end of 2028, dealing a significant blow to both the player and Chelsea.