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Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk could be facing a four-year suspension after the Football Association officially charged the Ukrainian international with a breach of anti-doping regulations.
The 24-year-old winger was provisionally suspended in December following a positive test for meldonium, a banned performance-enhancing drug. The FA had been awaiting the outcome of a secondary ‘B’ sample before proceeding with formal charges. On Wednesday, they confirmed that Mudryk is now facing disciplinary action.
"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," said the FA in a statement. "As this is an ongoing case, we are not in a position to comment further at this time."
Chelsea declined to issue a response to the FA’s latest move. However, the winger, who has not featured for the club since November, has continued to maintain his innocence. Posting on Instagram after news of his provisional ban emerged, Mudryk 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."
The FA’s anti-doping rules outline that a four-year ban applies in cases where a non-specified substance is involved, or where use of a specified substance is proven to be intentional.
Under Regulation 77, Mudryk’s defence team will need to demonstrate that he did not knowingly commit a violation to potentially reduce the duration of the ban. His legal representation, Morgan Sports Law, is the same firm that helped Paul Pogba appeal his four-year suspension, which was ultimately reduced to 18 months.
His limited contribution under new boss Enzo Maresca, who has largely restricted his minutes to cup and European competitions, has led Chelsea to explore alternatives in the transfer market.
Though Mudryk remains hopeful of a return, the looming prospect of a lengthy suspension casts a long shadow over his career at Stamford Bridge.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash / Simon Reza, Pexels / gina bichsel
