Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) after receiving a reported four-year playing ban from the Football Association for using a banned substance. The case was confirmed by Cas in a statement released on Wednesday, which noted that written submissions are being exchanged and a hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Mudryk has not played a competitive match since November 2024 after failing a drug test while on international duty with Ukraine and being provisionally suspended. If the four-year ban is upheld, he would not be eligible to play until December 2028. However, a successful appeal could allow the 25-year-old to return as early as next year.
Details of the case have been kept confidential, with the FA declining to comment throughout the disciplinary process. Reports indicate that Mudryk received the maximum suspension after traces of meldonium, a substance that can improve stamina, were found in his system. Under FA anti-doping regulations, a four-year ban applies for non-specified substances unless the violation is proven unintentional, or for specified substances if intentional use is established.
At the time of his suspension, Mudryk stated the positive test came as 'a complete shock' and insisted he had 'not done anything wrong'. Chelsea also issued a statement saying the player had 'never knowingly used any banned substances'. The club declined to comment further, saying they must let the process take its course.
Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 in a potential £89 million move. He has scored 10 goals in 73 appearances across all competitions but struggled to secure a regular starting place before his provisional suspension.
