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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca defended Mykhailo Mudryk after the Ukrainian winger tested positive for a banned substance.
The 23-year-old was temporarily suspended after analyzing a urine sample taken as part of a test conducted in Great Britain in the fall, the presence of a prohibited drug was detected.
Mudryk denied wrongdoinginsisting in an Instagram post on Tuesday: “This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substance or broken any rules, and I am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened. I know I didn’t do anything wrong and I hope to be back on the field soon.”
And Maresca supported his player.
“We all believe that Mudryk is innocent,” the manager said. “I don’t think Misha’s career at Chelsea is over. I think he’ll be back. We don’t know when, that’s the only doubt we have at this point. But he will definitely be back.”
Chelsea issued a statement on Tuesday confirming they had been notified of an “adverse finding” in a sample provided by Mudryk.
“Mihajlo categorically confirmed that he has never knowingly used prohibited substances,” the club’s press release states. “Both Mihailo and the club will now work with the relevant authorities to determine what caused the negative finding.”
Maresca added: “We all support Misha. The situation is a little clearer. We have a statement from the club, who have already said what we need to say, so there is nothing to add. All the players at the training ground support and trust Misha.”
Athletes are cautioned against UK Anti-doping (Ukad) where they face a ban of four years if it is found that the prohibited substance was taken intentionally.
If the violation involved a specific substance or contaminated product, and the athlete can prove that there was no significant fault, the ban can be from two years to a reprimand, depending on the level of the fault.
Mudryk last played for Chelsea in a Conference League game against Heidenheim on 28 November, scoring the Blues’ second goal in a 2–0 win.
He was an unused substitute for the Premier League match against Aston Villa December 1st.
Mudryk joined Chelsea for £88.5m from Shakhtar Donetsk in January last year, signing an eight-and-a-half-year deal. In April, he signed another one-year extension of that contract.