Mykhailo Mudryk has been cleared to return to action after the English Football Association (FA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reached a resolution in his doping case.
The Chelsea winger has not played since late 2024 after testing positive for meldonium during Ukraine international duty.
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The FA initially suspended him for four years in January, but he appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in April.
According to a statement on July 31, 2026, the FA explained that procedural changes by WADA mean that if Mudryk's sample were taken today, the meldonium concentration would not trigger an anti-doping violation.
Consequently, the FA and Mudryk, with WADA's agreement, have resolved the appeal, allowing him to resume competition immediately.
"Changes have been made … which, while not retroactive, mean that if Mr. Mudryk’s sample was collected today, the concentration of meldonium in the sample would not have been reported and no anti-doping rule violations would have resulted," the FA said.
The FA added that Mudryk admitted to the doping offense and accepted a suspension equal to the time already served.
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Mudryk joined Chelsea for 100 million euros, one of the most costly transfers in world football, with a contract running until 2031.
Preseason Match Against Tottenham
Meanwhile, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur met in a preseason friendly at Sydney's Accor Stadium, with an expected crowd near 80,000 for the Sydney Super Cup match.
Both teams had started their preseason positively, with wins against MK Dons, Auckland FC, and Sydney FC.
The match was broadcast via Chelsea and Tottenham's streaming platforms, CFC+ and SPURSPLAY, with no television coverage in the UK or USA.
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Chelsea's preseason included a high-scoring 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers, highlighted by a late hat trick from Joao Pedro and marked the coaching debut of Xabi Alonso.
