A couple weeks ago, a brief video made the rounds on social media, showing (still) Chelsea FC winger Mykhailo Mudryk — nearly unrecognizable with a thin beard and actual hair — running around on a football pitch, taking a few shots, and looking about as fit as ever. Fabrizio Romano’s caption was “Mudryk ready for comeback”.
Like much of Romano’s “reporting”, that’s not exactly true.
Mudryk remains suspended, just as he’s been since December 2024 — first provisionally, then officially starting last summer, when The FA actually charged him with doping. And technically we’re still in just that “has been charged” state and the disciplinary process is still ongoing. Mudryk maintains his innocence. If found guilty, he could be banned for four years (with time served). History tells us that any such ban would be appealed and possibly reduced. Paul Pogba was back after just 18 months. Mudryk’s already served 16. But the wheels of justice are turning very slowly. (If found not guilty, which is highly unlikely regardless of how and why this all happened, Mudryk would be immediately reinstated.)
But Mudryk being back on the football pitch could also be seen as sign that maybe he knows something we do not. Or maybe he’s just trying to keep fit and sharp as best he can.
He’s not supposed to be involved in any footballing activities, not just at Chelsea, but at any other club. So as per The Athletic, he had rented out the entire Uxbridge FC facility for his training session — for compliance and privacy (well, other than The Athletic’s man on the ground) as much as for the 3G pitch itself (probably as high a quality as one could possibly rent out privately).
Many, including yours truly, surmised that Chelsea would cut our losses with Mudryk when he was officially charged, but as far as we know, his contract with Chelsea remains in place. Whether he’s actually getting paid out on it is possibly another matter (he’s not exactly fulfilling it), but he’s not been released and he certainly hasn’t quit, so he’s still our player through 2031. He recently turned 25, so he should have many more years left in his career … wherever and whenever that may restart, eventually.
