Mykhailo Mudryk's four-year ban and appeal explained: What happened? Chelsea future?

AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsAtletico Madrid vs. ArsenalMatch of the Decade?Mourinho to Real Makes SenseExploring Tottenham's FinancesAnalysisMykhailo Mudryk’s four-year ban and appeal explained: What happened? Chelsea future?News of Mudryk's appeal emerged on Wednesday Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Share articleChelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk is appealing a four-year ban from football after being hit with the FA’s maximum penalty for doping. Mudryk, 25, was provisionally suspended by the FA in December 2024 after an adverse finding in a routine urine test. He maintains his innocence and will now take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in an attempt to reduce or overturn his sanction. The Athletic explains how the case has unfolded, what could come next, and what it means for Mudryk’s Chelsea future. Mudryk’s most recent appearance for Chelsea came in a 2-0 win against Heidenheim in the Conference League on November 28, 2024, and he was an unused substitute in the matchday squad against Aston Villa on December 1. The winger was omitted from the following matchday squads, which then-head coach Enzo Maresca attributed to illness. On December 17, he was provisionally suspended by the FA after an adverse finding in a routine urine sample. The Athletic was told by multiple sources, who wished to remain anonymous as they are not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, that Mudryk tested positive for meldonium following international duty with Ukraine in November 2024. Meldonium is a heart disease medication used to treat ischemia, which, in simple terms, is a reduced blood flow to parts of the body. According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), it may be used clinically by those suffering from heart conditions, such as angina and low blood flow to the heart. However, in sport, it can help athletes recover from exercise and improve endurance. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) added meldonium to its monitoring program in 2015, and it was added to the list of prohibited substances in 2016. Several athletes in other sports have fallen foul of the ban, with the most high-profile case being tennis star Maria Sharapova. The Russian failed a test for the substance shortly after it was banned and said she had been taking it for health reasons. Sharapova was initially banned from tennis for two years, but had that reduced to 15 months by CAS after appeal. Chelsea issued a statement on their website on December 17, 2024, announcing that the FA had recently contacted Mudryk “concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test”. The club reiterated that all their players are regularly tested and pledged to “work with the relevant authorities to establish what has caused the adverse finding”. In a statement on his Instagram account, Mudryk protested his innocence. “I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to The FA contained a banned substance,” he said. “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. “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 immediately withdrew Mudryk from first-team consideration and he has not played professional football for club or country since. No. The FA deals with the use of prohibited substances as ‘strict liability’ violations — meaning it is not necessary to show intent, fault, negligence, or knowing use by Mudryk for him to have violated the rules. The FA’s regulations do say that a ban can be eliminated if the person establishes they bear “no fault or negligence”, and can be reduced if they establish “no significant fault or negligence”. Mudryk was formally charged in June 2025. An FA statement said: “We can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged with anti-doping rule violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance, in terms of regulations 3 and 4 of The FA’s Anti-Doping Regulations. As this is an ongoing case, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.” In a statement issued to The Athletic and other media organisations, CAS confirmed that Mudryk lodged an appeal with the court on February 25, 2026, against a four-year ban imposed by the FA, adding that the parties “are currently exchanging written submissions, and a hearing is yet to be scheduled”. Having not publicly disclosed their punishment of Mudryk prior to CAS confirming the winger’s appeal, the FA reiterated their policy of not commenting on ongoing cases when contacted by The Athletic on Wednesday. Chelsea also declined to comment, with sources speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the situation indicating that the club want to let the appeal process take its course. CAS confirmed that Mudryk’s lawyers and those representing the FA are in the process of exchanging written submissions. This is the first stage of the appeals arbitration procedure. During this stage, both parties must agree whether the appeal should be heard by a sole arbitrator or a panel of arbitrators. In the case of a panel, each party gets to nominate one arbitrator from the CAS arbitrators’ list. The president of the panel is selected by CAS. Once the written proceedings are over, a hearing may be scheduled where both parties can present arguments, oral testimony, and expert evidence to the arbitrator or panel of arbitrators, who then deliberate before giving a final decision. CAS has created a specialised anti-doping division to hear and decide anti-doping cases in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code. The entire process can take many months to play out. Yes. Paul Pogba, now with Monaco, had a ban reduced from four years to 18 months in 2024, while goalkeeper Andre Onana (currently on loan at Trabzonspor from Manchester United) had his ban reduced from 12 to nine months in 2021. In both cases, the court accepted the players’ argument that their offence was unintentional. Mudryk has been following a specialised fitness programme during his exile from professional football. Chelsea have been monitoring the progress of their player, but the club are not allowed to arrange any kind of organised training for him. Instead, Mudryk has been supplementing his gym work by renting the 3G surface at non-League club Uxbridge FC’s Honeycroft ground on a regular basis in recent months to help keep his football skills sharp, with his private team discreetly hiring coaches and goalkeepers to aid with his individual sessions. Judging by the training clips that have circulated on social media and the session observed by The Athletic earlier this month, Mudryk has succeeded in keeping himself in impressive physical shape even without competitive match action. He has lost none of his explosive athleticism and holds himself to high standards during drills, maintaining a serious focus despite not knowing when he will be able to play again. As The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon and Philip Buckingham reported in 2025, in the standard Premier League contracts that are in place between all players and clubs, there is a definition of gross misconduct, and being found to have taken a prohibited substance falls under the definition, as it does in accordance with FA rules. Chelsea would therefore have a strong case to say Mudryk was guilty of gross misconduct and terminate his contract. They would have to give him 14 days’ notice, and pay him for those 14 days, but would not have to pay out the rest of his contract, which is set to run until 2031. They could also, of course, opt to keep Mudryk. Even if his appeal is unsuccessful, a four-year ban starting from when he was provisionally suspended in 2024 would only take him up to the end of 2028, leaving multiple years still on his contract. They could try to renegotiate a new deal with lower wages for the duration of the ban, but it would be up to Mudryk whether he wanted to sign it. The FA’s agent transaction lists reveal that there was an update made to Mudryk’s contract with Chelsea between February 4, 2025, and February 2, 2026. Club sources and sources close to Mudryk declined to provide details, but said that the change did not constitute anything significant. Chelsea sources also say the club are fulfilling their contractual obligations to Mudryk during this process. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms