Enzo Maresca insists Chelsea ‘trust’ Mykhailo Mudryk despite failed drug test

LONDON – Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca believes that Mykhailo Mudryk did not knowingly take a banned supplement, and that the club are fully behind the Ukrainian winger.

The Blues said on Dec 17 they were notified by the Football Association (FA) of an “adverse finding” in a urine sample provided by the 23-year-old forward, who has been provisionally suspended.

Mudryk said in an Instagram post that the results of his ‘A’ sample had come as a “complete shock” and insisted that he had not intentionally taken a banned substance.

“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,” he added.

“We trust Misha,” said Maresca ahead of his side’s Conference League home game against Ireland’s Shamrock Rovers on Dec 19, which kicked off after press time.

“When this kind of thing happens you need to support your player in all aspects. Misha is a Chelsea player, it’s my duty to be in contact with him. Me, the club, his teammates, we are all there.

“Trust means we believe Misha.”

Athletes are warned on the UK Anti-Doping website that they face a ban of four years if it is found a banned substance was taken intentionally.

If the violation involved a specified substance or a contaminated product, and the athlete can demonstrate they had no significant fault, ineligibility may range from two years to a reprimand, depending on the level of fault.

Mudryk, who moved to Chelsea in January 2023, has struggled for first-team opportunities this season and has largely been used as a substitute in the English Premier League.

He has made 15 appearances in total this campaign and last played in a 2-0 win at German side Heidenheim in the Conference League on Nov 28, in which he scored his third goal of the season.

He has not featured in the past five matches in all competitions, with Maresca saying that was down to illness.

“I think he’s going to come back, the only thing is we don’t know when,” added the Chelsea boss.

“Any player in the world when this happens, they need support. No matter if he’s 20 or 30, no matter if he’s English or Italian or Ukrainian. When this kind of things happens, we all need support. It’s not about his age or his country.

“With Misha it is exactly the same. I’m there to try to help him in anything he needs.”

Mudryk joined Chelsea for a reported £88.5 million (S$152.3 million) from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk. Capped 28 times for Ukraine, he has 10 goals and nine assists in 73 appearances across all competitions for the Blues.

Despite having not played of late, Maresca also said that he was improving a lot and Chelsea were happy with his progress.

“The talent we see on the training pitch is exactly the same as what you sometimes see during the game. With him it is exactly the same feeling,” the Italian said.
AFP, REUTERS