By KIERAN GILL

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged by the Football Association for failing a doping test with the Ukrainian now facing up to a four-year ban.

The 24-year-old, who was signed from Shakhtar Donetsk for £89million in 2023, has been temporarily suspended since news broke last year that he had provided a positive sample believed to contain the performance-enhancing drug meldonium.

The FA have now confirmed that they have slapped Mudryk with a charge, saying in a statement: ‘We can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged with Anti-Doping Rule Violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance, in terms of Regulations 3 and 4 of The FA’s Anti-Doping Regulations. As this is an ongoing case, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.’

Chelsea declined to comment.

Mudryk hired Morgan Sports Law to act as his representatives in a bid to save his career, with the Ukraine international maintaining he has never knowingly broken any rules.

In a statement uploaded on his Instagram in December last year, Mudryk said: ‘I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to The FA contained a banned substance.

Mykhailo Mudryk has been banned by the FA after returning a failed drugs test last year

Mykhailo Mudryk has been banned by the FA after returning a failed drugs test last year

The player has been sidelined at Chelsea but travelled to Wroclaw to watch the UEFA Conference League final

The player has been sidelined at Chelsea but travelled to Wroclaw to watch the UEFA Conference League final 

The 24-year-old signed for the Blues in January 2023 but has struggled to assert his place in the first team under a string of managers

The 24-year-old signed for the Blues in January 2023 but has struggled to assert his place in the first team under a string of managers

‘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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Chelsea star Mykhailo Mudryk charged by the FA after testing positive for banned substance meldonium – and could be banned for FOUR YEARS

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