Social media was alight with chatter over which Premier League player was going to feature in the Baller League after a sensational claim from influencer Niko Omilana, who manages NDL FC, claiming a top-flight professional was joining the six-a-side competition. The reality, in the end, was something quite unexpected.

Mykhailo Mudryk’s career has been thrown into turmoil, but his old club Shakhtar Donetsk have come out swinging in his defence. The Ukrainian winger, slapped with a provisional suspension in December 2024 after testing positive for meldonium, now faces an official doping charge from The FA. Despite the storm, Shakhtar’s sporting director Dario Srna insists the 24-year-old is “completely innocent” and deserves full support.

Mykhailo Mudryk is facing an uncertain future after being suspended from all forms of football following a positive drugs result. The Chelsea man last played for Enzo Maresca's team in late November 2024 and a month later his career was put on hold as a routine urine test resulted in an adverse finding of meldonium. So, what is the Ukrainian doing now and what is the latest on this matter?

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been handed a six-month driving ban for repeatedly flouting UK traffic laws. Mudryk was provisionally suspended from football in December 2024 following a positive drugs test. In June, he was charged with violating anti-doping laws and is now awaiting the final outcome of an FA investigation.

Chelsea have reportedly received a Champions League boost as suspended Mykhailo Mudryk's wages will not be budgeted under UEFA rules. The Ukrainian winger, who has been unavailable since failing an anti-doping test last December, was already struggling to justify the £56 million ($75m) fee that lured him from Shakhtar Donetsk. However, his enforced absence could prove crucial in allowing Chelsea to register all of their big-money summer recruits for Europe's elite competition.