Mudryk appeals four-year doping ban at sport’s highest court

Mykhailo Mudryk has taken his fight against a four-year doping suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), challenging the sanction imposed by the Football Association, Sport360NG reports. 

The Chelsea FC winger has been out of action for almost 18 months following a provisional suspension triggered by an adverse result in a routine urine test in December 2024. He was formally charged in June 2025 before being handed the maximum four-year ban by the FA.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed full details of the case. However, under standard anti-doping rules, such sanctions are usually backdated to the date of the initial suspension, which would currently set his earliest return for late 2028.

CAS confirmed that an appeal was filed on 25 February 2026, with proceedings now underway. “The parties are currently exchanging written submissions, and a hearing date has yet to be fixed,” the tribunal said in a statement.

Sources indicate the case centres around meldonium, a cardiovascular drug known to enhance endurance, which Mudryk is believed to have been exposed to while on international duty with Ukraine in October 2024.

The 25-year-old, who joined Chelsea in January 2023 in a deal worth an initial €70 million, has not featured in a competitive match since November 2024. When news of his provisional suspension first emerged, he expressed shock and insisted he had never knowingly taken any prohibited substances.

Mudryk is being represented by Morgan Sports Law, a firm with experience in high-profile doping cases involving athletes such as Paul Pogba, Tyson Fury and Chris Froome.

Despite the ongoing legal process, the winger is understood to be maintaining his fitness privately, training with non-league side Uxbridge FC and working closely with personal coaches.

Chelsea have declined to comment while proceedings continue, with the FA also refraining from public statements due to the case’s ongoing status.