CHELSEA star Mykhailo Mudryk reportedly could face a four-year ban after allegedly failing a drugs test.
Ukrainian media outlets UA Football and Tribuna both claim that the £62million winger, who could end up costing £88.5m, provided a positive result with an ‘A-sample’ in late October.
Mudryk and Chelsea are now said to be awaiting the result of the ‘B-sample’, which will confirm the original test if it also comes back positive.
It has not been claimed which banned substance Mudryk has allegedly tested positive for.
But if confirmed, the 23-year-old could face a four-year ban from football.
Mudryk has not played for Chelsea since scoring in the 2-0 Conference League win at Heindenheim on November 28.
He has also failed to make a match-day squad since December 1’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League.
And the official reason given for Mudryk’s absence by his club is that he has been ill.
SunSport has reached out to both Chelsea and Mudryk’s agent for comment.
Two decades ago, the Blues saw Romanian striker Adrian Mutu banned from football from seven months in September 2004 after he tested positive for cocaine.
Mutu’s deal was terminated for breach of contract and Chelsea were eventually awarded £14m in compensation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Recently, former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was banned for 18 months in August 2023 after testing positive for performance-enhancing substance DHEA, leading to the eventual termination of his Juventus contract.
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Mudryk has been at Stamford Bridge for nearly two years following his big-money move from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023.
He struggled to make an impact in his first six months with no goals in 17 games.
And last season Mudryk managed to hit the target seven times in 41 outings.
This term he has three goals in 15 matches, all of which have come in Europe.
But Mudryk continues to be a key player for Ukraine, winning 12 caps in 2024 to take his total to 28.
