Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso says Mykhailo Mudryk will join the team's pre-season tour in Hong Kong, but it's too early to tell how he'll fit in. The 25-year-old Ukrainian winger has been out since November 2024 after a doping case with the Football Association (FA).
Mudryk to Join Chelsea in Hong Kong, Fitness Uncertain
Mudryk, 25, has not played a match since November 2024 after being provisionally suspended for returning an "adverse finding" for the banned substance meldonium. The FA has ended its anti-doping proceedings after Mudryk accepted breaching anti-doping rules and agreed to a suspension equal to the one year and eight months already served.
Alonso explained Mudryk is joining Chelsea at their next pre-season destination. "Yes, he is coming to Hong Kong, but I haven't spoken to him yet," he said. Alonso added, "It's too early to tell how he is in terms of fitness, in terms of the game time you need to be involved again, so it's still too early to tell."
Mudryk's Private Training Regime
Mudryk has not been able to train at Chelsea's training ground or work with club staff. Instead, he hired his own private coach and goalkeepers, and conducted training sessions at non-league side Uxbridge. Alonso said, "He trained on his own every day, and I think it had to be really, really hard because he wanted to play football, he wanted to be part of a team, and he was not allowed to do that for such a long time."
Alonso Warns of Long Wait for Mudryk's Chelsea Return
Alonso acknowledged Mudryk's return is a surprise, with Chelsea having built a squad full of alternative options on the wing. They have Pedro Neto, Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens, and Geovany Quenda, while both Cole Palmer and new £117m signing Morgan Rogers can play on the flanks. Alonso said, "Yeah, to be honest, we were not expecting to have this great news at this moment."
Roberto de Zerbi, who managed Mudryk at Shakhtar Donetsk before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, spoke highly of the player. "He is another who is my son," De Zerbi said. "I am very happy. He deserves to play. He is a top guy, a good player. I hope he can show, in this next season, what he suffered over the last two years. Maybe not against Tottenham, but he is a lovely guy and a very, very good player."
Alonso also praised Mudryk, saying, "Yeah, I remember watching him at Shakhtar, the impact he had, how quick he was, how good he was in one-on-one situations and how he could create a lot of situations on his own. He's a special player, but he will need time, for sure."
Source: Joy Online
