Chelsea

After a report from Zorya Londonsk revealed on Monday night that Mudryk had been absent throughout December due to testing positive for a banned substance, Chelsea confirmed the development on Tuesday morning.

Mudryk has since taken to social media to stress his innocence, stating that 'he knows that he has done nothing wrong'

However, depending on the results of a 'B' sample that is due to be opened in due course, the £89m man faces the possibility of a ban from football.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at what length of time Mudryk could be sidelined for if he is found guilty by the relevant authorities.

Pogba case

The most high-profile recent example of a footballer being banned for a failed drugs test involved Paul Pogba when high levels of testosterone were found in his system during a test in September 2023.

Pogba was initially handed a four-year ban, but that has since been reduced to 18 months after he took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The reason given was accepting that the 'indigestion of a banned substance was not intentional'.

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana served a nine-month suspension after testing positive for furosemide back in 2021. The initial one-year ban was again reduced after a appeal to CAS.

There have been several instances where big-name players such as Pep Guardiola, Edgar Davids and Jaap Stam have tested positive for nandrolone. They were banned for four months, four months and one month respectively.

As per Tribuna.com, the banned substance that Mudryk has tested positive for is meldonium. It is described as having the capabilities of allowing the body to quickly restore energy.

Are there other football or sporting examples of meldonium use?

From a footballing perspective, there have been no high-profile cases of meldonium use. However, there was a case that rocked the world of tennis in 2016.

Maria Sharapova - a five-time Grand Slam champion - tested positive for the substance and was subsequently suspended for two years by the International Tennis Federation.

Although that was eventually reduced to 15 months, the Russian star acknowledged that it had been taken based on a doctor's recommendation and that she was of the understanding that it was compliant with the relevant regulations.

There is no such notable example in football with regards to meldonium but, as per the Pogba case, an initial four-year suspension for Mudryk is a possibility should it be proven that he is guilty of intentional use.

Much could depend on the levels of meldonium found in Mudryk's system. With Onana, Guardiola, Davids and Stam all being banned between one and nine months, Chelsea will hope that any potential absence of Mudryk will not be as prolonged as it could be.

Written by

Darren Plant