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Ban lifted, return set
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been allowed to return to the club after his doping ban case was resolved, with the Football Association confirming he may return to competition with immediate effect.
“Mr Mudryk is no longer ineligible and may return to competition with immediate effect.”
Mudryk, who has not played competitively since November 2024, had been handed a four-year ban by the FA after a positive test for meldonium, and he appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The FA said changes to World Anti-Doping Agency procedures mean that if Mr Mudryk's sample was collected today, the concentration of meldonium would not have been reported and no anti-doping rule violations would have resulted.
In his own statement, Mudryk said, “After a long battle, the four-year ban that was imposed on me has been rescinded, and I am free to resume my career with immediate effect.”
Chelsea said it was “pleased that the matter has now reached a conclusion which allows him to return to football with immediate effect,” and he is set to join the club's preseason camp as they revamp under Xabi Alonso.
What the FA and CAS said
The FA’s resolution was tied to WADA technical reporting standards, with the FA stating that “Changes have been made… which, while not retroactive, mean that if Mr Mudryk's sample was collected today, the concentration of meldonium in the sample would not have been reported and no anti-doping rule violations would have resulted.”
Under the settlement described by the FA, Mudryk accepted that he committed the anti-doping rule violation and acceded to a period of ineligibility equal to the time served at the date of the agreement.
CAS upheld Mudryk’s appeal and granted full authorization to resume his professional football career with immediate effect, after ruling that the period he had already spent away from football since November 2024 was a proportionate and sufficient sanction.
The Independent reported that CAS said the test displayed “a low concentration” of the prohibited substance, and added that changes had been made to WADA’s technical document regarding meldonium.
Mudryk’s eligibility also came after CAS confirmed receipt of his appeal on February 25, 2026, following the four-year ban imposed by the FA.
Chelsea’s squad and next steps
Mudryk’s return comes as Chelsea prepare for a new preseason cycle, with Goal saying he will join the club's preseason tour of Australia and Asia and the Independent adding he is expected to join up with the Chelsea squad as they continue their preparations for the new Premier League season.
“My focus now is on returning to football, working hard every day”
FotMob reported that Mudryk was “grateful” for the opportunity to restart his Chelsea career after the FA confirmed his ban had been lifted with “immediate effect,” and it quoted his Instagram post about being “cleared to return to football.”
Chelsea’s statement to FotMob said it would support his “reintegration into the squad” while helping him resume his career, and it described the period as “extremely difficult” for Misha both professionally and personally.
The New York Times said Mudryk has been eligible to return to competitive action with immediate effect after a resolution between WADA and the FA, and it noted he has not represented Chelsea since November 2024 following a suspension for an adverse finding in a urine sample.
With Mudryk back in the fold, the BBC reported he will join the club's pre-season tour, and it said Chelsea are looking forward to helping him “return to full fitness, back into the squad and back onto the pitch.”
