Mykhailo Mudryk appeals four-year doping ban to Court of Arbitration for Sport

Key facts

• Mykhailo Mudryk, 25, was handed a four-year ban by the FA after a positive test for meldonium.
• He was provisionally suspended in December 2024 and charged in June 2025.
• Mudryk lodged an appeal with CAS on February 25, 2026.
• The ban is typically backdated to December 2024, meaning a return around December 2028 if upheld.
• Mudryk believes the contamination occurred while on duty with Ukraine in October 2024.
• He joined Chelsea for €70m (£61m) in January 2023 and has not played since November 2024.
• Morgan Sports Law, who represented Paul Pogba, is defending Mudryk.

A career in limbo

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has taken his fight against a four-year doping ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the highest legal authority in sport. The 25-year-old Ukraine international was handed the maximum suspension by the Football Association after an adverse finding in a routine urine test in December 2024. He has not played a competitive match since November 2024.

The appeal and the timeline

CAS confirmed it received Mudryk's appeal against the FA on February 25, 2026. The parties are currently exchanging written submissions, and a hearing has yet to be scheduled. Sources close to the player express hope that he could return to action as early as next season, though if the ban is upheld and backdated to the start of his provisional suspension, his return date would be around December 2028.

The substance and the player's defense

The positive test was for meldonium, a cardiovascular medication that can increase respiratory capacity and stamina. Mudryk believes his sample was contaminated while he was on international duty with Ukraine in October 2024. In his only public statement, he described his 'complete shock' and said he had 'never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules.' Chelsea launched their own investigation and said the then 23-year-old insisted he had never knowingly used any banned substances.

Legal representation and training regimen

Mudryk is being defended by Morgan Sports Law, the firm that worked with former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba during his doping case, as well as boxer Tyson Fury and cyclist Chris Froome during their respective investigations. The player is understood to want to return to playing football this year and is keeping fit by training at non-league Uxbridge FC with a private coach, having hired goalkeepers to work with.

Club and FA silence

Chelsea declined to comment as they wait for the process to take its full course, and the FA said it is unable to comment on an ongoing case. Mudryk's legal team has also been contacted for comment. The FA has never disclosed details of the case. Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk for an initial €70m (£61m) in January 2023 and still has five years left on his contract.

What comes next

The CAS hearing will determine whether Mudryk's ban is upheld, reduced, or overturned. If successful, he could resume his career as early as next season. The case has drawn parallels to other high-profile doping appeals in football, but each case turns on its own evidence. For now, Mudryk remains in a state of limbo, training in the shadows of non-league football while his legal team prepares its arguments.

The bottom line

• Mudryk has appealed a four-year FA doping ban to CAS, with a hearing yet to be scheduled.
• The positive test was for meldonium, which Mudryk claims was ingested inadvertently during Ukraine duty.
• If the ban is upheld and backdated, Mudryk would be eligible to return around December 2028.
• Morgan Sports Law, known for representing Pogba, Fury, and Froome, is handling Mudryk's defense.
• Chelsea and the FA have declined to comment on the ongoing case.
• Mudryk has not played since November 2024 and trains at non-league Uxbridge FC.