Mykhailo Mudryk is banned for FOUR YEARS for doping: Chelsea’s £88m star to appeal to CAS after huge punishment from the FA over use of Maria Sharapova’s ‘Soviet super-soldiers’ drug

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been handed the maximum punishment of a four-year ban from the Football Association for anti-doping violations – and is now appealing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The 25-year-old Ukrainian logged his appeal against the FA on February 25. It is understood a hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Mudryk has not appeared for Chelsea since November 28, 2024 in a Conference League win over Heidenheim in which he scored prior to his provisional suspension.

Chelsea signed the attacker for £88million from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023, and he is under contract until 2030 with a club option to extend for a further year.

Daily Mail Sport reported in December 2023 that the banned substance meldonium was believed to be behind Mudryk’s failed drug test.

The substance is the same drug that former Russian tennis star and multiple Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova previously used and a positive test resulted in her being banned for two years in 2016. 

Sharapova had previously failed a drugs test at the Australian Open for using meldonium which is sold under the brand Mildronate and is a banned performance enhancing drug. 

In a statement, a CAS spokesperson said that they could ‘confirm that he is appealing against the imposed period of ineligibility of four years’.

Both Chelsea and Mudryk’s representatives were contacted for comment by Daily Mail Sport.

Mudryk has long maintained his innocence and has continued to train individually in the hope of returning. That has included renting the pitch of non-League club Uxbridge.

More to follow.