'When the moment is right' - Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior gives update on Mykhailo Mudryk as return to training is rubbished amid doping suspension

Mudryk has been stuck on the sidelines for the better part of two years after being placed under an indefinite ban for breaching doping rules. 

At the time, Mudryk said: “I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to The FA contained a banned substance. 

“This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules, and am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened. 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.”

While that off-field battle has continued, little progress seems to have been made. Mudryk is unable to train with his team-mates due to the ban and has kept a low profile, though in September he was hit with a six-month driving ban for repeat offences.

Former club Shakhtar Donetsk have backed him, with sporting director Darijo Srna recently saying: "When we speak about Mudryk, we don't think about the money, we speak about the human being. We feel so sorry for him. We know he is 100 percent innocent - he will show that. We support him like an ex-player, a human being and a friend. We don't think the money is important."

Graham Potter was Chelsea's manager when Mudryk first signed for Chelsea and he has since been succeeded by Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and now Rosenior, who took the reins at Stamford Bridge earlier in January.

Asked if he's spoken with Mudryk yet, Rosenior said: “Not yet. It’s definitely something that I want to do, but there are many things I want to do and haven’t been able to do.

“But, no, he’s a magnificent player. He’s had a really difficult time and when the moment is right for me and him and the club, I’ll definitely have a conversation with him.”

He added: “The time is right when I speak with the board and the sporting directors and when it’s right that he’s in a place where I can have an impact, in a positive way, on his career.”

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Mudryk was famously a transfer target for Arsenal, Chelsea's London rivals. However, the Gunners were usurped by the Blues, who agreed an initial £62 million (€70m/$84m) fee with Shakhtar, potentially rising to £89 million (€100m/$121m) in add-ons.

He made 17 appearances in his first half-season with Chelsea, contributing two assists but failing to register his first goal for the club. That arrived in his first full campaign in west London as he netted seven times, while he had managed three goals and four assists - the majority of which came in the Conference League - in 2024-25 before his season was ended by the ban. 

His 2024-25 season ended in November and Mudryk has not played competitively since. He'll be hoping for a reduced punishment if he is found guilty, similar to the case of Paul Pogba, who was initially handed a severe penalty before it was reduced on appeal. However, Mudryk has not yet officially been given a permanent ban, so there is a still a lot of time left to run in this sad saga. 

In the meantime, Chelsea will face Crystal Palace in London derby in the Premier League on Sunday.