Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk has been provisionally suspended following a doping test failure, the Premier League club confirmed on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Ukraine international was notified by the Football Association , FA, of an “adverse finding” in a urine sample he provided.

Chelsea Football Club has confirmed that player Mykhailo Mudryk was contacted by the Football Association regarding an adverse finding in a routine urine test. The club and Mudryk fully support the FA’s testing program, emphasizing that all players are regularly tested.

Mudryk has denied knowingly using any banned substances. The club stated that they will work with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of the adverse finding, demonstrating their commitment to transparency and compliance with anti-doping regulations.

Mudryk himself addressed the issue in an Instagram post, expressing his shock over the finding: “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.”

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Under UK Anti-Doping ,UKAD, regulations, athletes can face a four-year ban if it is determined that a banned substance was taken intentionally.

However, if the violation involved a specified substance or a contaminated product, and the athlete can prove they were not at significant fault, the penalty could range from two years to a reprimand, depending on the circumstances.

Mudryk, who has made 15 appearances for Chelsea this season, most recently played in the 2-0 win against German side Heidenheim in the UEFA Conference League on November 28, where he scored his third goal of the campaign. He has not featured in Chelsea’s last five matches across all competitions.

Mudryk joined Chelsea in January 2023 for a reported £88.5 million ($112 million) from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk. Under head coach Enzo Maresca, Chelsea are currently second in the Premier League and top of their Conference League group.

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