Mykhailo Mudryk has broken his silence after being notified about a positive drugs test.
On Tuesday, it was reported that Mudryk had been informed by the Football Association (FA) and has been temporarily suspended from football.
He has not been available to play due to a suspected positive test result, with the Daily Mail suggesting it may be linked to a contaminated supplement, which is thought to only be available overseas.
Mudryk quickly responded to the news, asserting his innocence and stating that his team is working to investigate the matter further.
“I can confirm that I have been informed that a sample I provided to The FA contained a banned substance,” Mudryk said in an Instagram statement.
“This news has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or violated any rules, and I am working closely with my team to understand how this could have happened.
“I am confident that I have done nothing wrong and remain hopeful that I will return to the pitch soon. I cannot say more at this time due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will provide further details when I can.”
It is reported that Mudryk underwent a routine urine test in August, which came back clean, and his behavior has remained unchanged since then.
He is now awaiting the result of a ‘B’ sample to see if it matches the findings of the ‘A’ sample. According to FA regulations, a player who has been notified of a test result may be temporarily suspended but is allowed to provide an explanation before any potential charges or penalties are determined.
Mudryk, who was signed by Chelsea for £89 million from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, has not played for the team since their Europa Conference League match against Heidenheim on November 28.
Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, had previously stated that Mudryk was “ill,” which was the reason for his absence from the squad.
Following Mudryk’s statement, Chelsea released their own comment, confirming that the Football Association had recently contacted the player regarding a negative result from a routine urine test.
“Chelsea Football Club can confirm that the Football Association recently contacted our player Mykhailo Mudryk concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test,” the club’s statement read.
“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 determine the cause of the adverse finding.
“The Club will not be commenting any further.”
SPORTbible has reached out to the FA for additional comment.
Chelsea, currently second in the Premier League, will return to action on Thursday with a Conference League match against Shamrock Rovers.
