Mudryk: Maresca declares support for suspended Chelsea star

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has shown strong support for Mykhailo Mudryk, following the Ukraine international’s failed drug test. Mudryk, who is currently suspended by the Football Association (FA), tested positive for a banned substance in a routine urine test. The 23-year-old has denied any intention to use the substance, maintaining that he did not knowingly take it.

Maresca has made it clear that Chelsea fully trusts Mudryk. Speaking to BBC, he said, “We support Mykhailo and trust means that we believe Mykhailo. The club, the coaching staff, and all the people at the training ground, we support and we trust Mykhailo.” Maresca also mentioned that although the length of Mudryk’s suspension is still uncertain, he is confident that the winger will return to the team. “I think he is going to come back, but we don’t know when. But for sure, he is going to come back,” Maresca said.

Maresca also revealed that he has spoken personally with Mudryk since the suspension was made public. He emphasized the importance of support in such situations, saying, “Any kind of player that this kind of thing happens to, they need support.”

Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023 in a deal potentially worth £89 million, but his time at the club has been challenging. He has scored 10 goals in 73 appearances, and he has missed the last five matches, with his absence previously explained by illness, though this has now raised questions following the doping issue.