Mykhailo Mudryk returned to play for Chelsea on August 5, 2026, coming off the bench in the 82nd minute during a 1-0 pre-season friendly loss to Juventus at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong [1, 2]. The 25-year-old Ukrainian winger had been sidelined since November 2024 after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium, resulting in a 20-month suspension imposed by the Football Association following disciplinary proceedings involving the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) [3, 1, 4, 5, 2].
Mudryk last played competitively for Chelsea in November 2024 before the provisional suspension and was cleared to resume playing in late July 2026 [3, 1, 4, 5, 2]. Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso confirmed Mudryk was selected for the Juventus match and able to play, though he cautioned it was too soon for the winger to play a full 90 minutes as he works back to full fitness. Alonso described the decision to field Mudryk as "more than a football decision. It was a human decision and emotional decision to give him this boost, to feel the great support that he got and the great reception when he came on the pitch" [3, 1, 4].
Mudryk joined Chelsea in January 2023 from Shakhtar Donetsk for a reported initial fee of £62 million, potentially rising to £89 million [1, 6, 4, 5]. Before his suspension, he scored 10 goals in 73 appearances and remains under contract with the club until 2031 [5, 2]. Chelsea’s recent signing Danny Welbeck also joined the squad ahead of the Juventus friendly in Hong Kong [5].
The FA noted that technical rule changes by WADA mean Mudryk’s sample would not test positive under current regulations [1, 4]. Mudryk arrived in Hong Kong on August 3 and resumed training with Chelsea as part of his return to action [6, 2]. Potential loan deals are under consideration as Chelsea assesses Mudryk’s future at the club [5, 2].
Chelsea is scheduled to play their next pre-season friendly against AC Milan in Jakarta on August 10, 2026 [2].
