It is a little after 11am when a large vehicle sweeps into the car park of Uxbridge FC’s Honeycroft ground and comes to a halt near the pitch entrance.
When the rear door opens Mykhailo Mudryk gets out, accompanied by two members of his team. He turns back to the car to take out a large bag of footballs, slings them over his shoulder and the three men make their way inside.
Within a few minutes he is on the pitch, his bright pink boots gleaming in the north west London sunshine as he helps to position metal mannequins with his small coaching team and becomes acquainted with the two goalkeepers who have been invited to help him with this session’s focus: shooting.
Sources, speaking under the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, like everyone spoken to for this article, say that everything here, including the rental of Uxbridge FC’s 3G pitch, is arranged discreetly by his team to ensure full compliance with his provisional suspension by the Football Association for an alleged anti-doping violation. Mudryk maintains his innocence, as he has done ever since the FA contacted him in December 2024 regarding an adverse finding in a routine urine test.
He was formally charged with a breach of the FA’s anti-doping rules in June 2025 but, 10 months on, there is no clarity on when the disciplinary process will conclude.
Mudryk has not played for Chelsea since scoring the second goal in a 2-0 away win over Heidenheim in the Conference League in November 2024. He was 23 then; he turned 25 in January, and his exile from professional football stands at just over 16 months.
Mudryk scoring against Heidenheim in November 2024. He has not played for Chelsea since (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
It is easy, then, to understand why he was inclined to share a short clip from a training session at Honeycroft earlier this month, offering fans a reminder of his qualities and mindset.
Until the footage circulated widely online, even many of Uxbridge FC’s players were completely unaware that they had been sharing their pitch with a Premier League footballer that Chelsea paid an initial £62million to acquire from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023. Mudryk had to find somewhere to keep his skills sharp, and in many ways Honeycroft is an ideal choice.
Nestled in the middle of a large green pocket of Yiewsley between a golf course and Stockley Country Park, the 3,770-capacity stadium is flanked on two sides by tall trees and well set back from the nearest road. It also boasts a playing surface far beyond what you would expect from Uxbridge FC’s step 3 status in the national league system: the same state-of-the-art 3G pitch that Swiss club Young Boys play on at Wankdorf Stadium, fitted in late 2024 as part of a £1million refurbishment of the facilities.
Uxbridge FC’s Honeycroft stadium has a state-of-the-art artificial pitch (Liam Twomey/The Athletic)
Mudryk looks at home on it as he quickly gets into his rhythm. The first drill simulates the type of chance that might be generated in a Premier League match: two quick give-and-goes around the mannequins, then a first-time shot from the left corner of the penalty area. It favours whipping the ball right-footed into the far corner of the net and he finds it with regularity, as well as plenty of force. On several occasions, the goalkeeper does not even have time to dive.
Then the scenario shifts to a more straightforward sprint through on goal, with the alternating keepers instructed to be aggressive rushing off their line. It is here that Mudryk’s trademark speed and acceleration come into their own; he looks and moves as if he is in Premier League shape, even without the rhythm of competitive action.
He varies between finishing high or low, near post or far. Occasionally, he takes the ball around the onrushing goalkeeper. Misses are rare, but he reacts sharply to every one, demanding high standards of himself throughout. His demeanour remains focused and intense for the duration of the session.
While the training set-up is necessarily minimalist, a camera is always well-positioned on a tall tripod to capture Mudryk’s movements. Some clips may appear on social media, but they also serve an immediate purpose; at one point in the drill, he pauses and huddles around a phone with the coaches, analysing details before continuing.
Then it is time to practise shooting with his left foot. There is little margin for error here, since the stand behind the goal is not much taller than the goal itself and any shots which clear it automatically end up in the car park beyond, requiring one of the goalkeepers to jog dutifully around to retrieve the ball. But a fair number of Mudryk’s attempts end up bulging the roof of the net with power and precision, and very few are saved.
With the session ticking towards the two-hour mark, Mudryk switches to shots from outside the box. One of his right-footed attempts, uncorked with minimal backlift, crashes against the bar with such force that the noise reverberates around the ground and the ball bounces out towards the halfway line. Several others are more subtle, curled low and accurately just inside the posts.
After a handful of penalties, the session ends. Mudryk thanks the goalkeepers and coaches and helps to carry the mannequins back to storage before walking off. He remains polite but reserved, understandable given the circumstances, before making a swift exit. Until he knows when he will be allowed to resume his football career, there is not much he can say.
The rental of Uxbridge FC’s 3G pitch is arranged discreetly by Mudryk’s team (Liam Twomey/The Athletic)
The maximum punishment Mudryk could face is a four-year ban. He has already missed 16 months, which historical precedent suggests would count as time served in any suspension. If he is found innocent, he would be free to return to action immediately.
Sources say Chelsea are supporting their player but are also planning for the future within their squad, signing Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens last summer to compete for left wing minutes. International football does not give Ukraine the same flexibility and without their biggest star, they had their hopes of World Cup qualification extinguished by Sweden last week.
In any case, Mudryk’s focus is clear. Whenever the opportunity comes to return to competitive football, he intends to be ready.
