What does the future hold for Chelsea forward Mihailo Mudric?
It’s exactly one year since Chelsea winger Mihailo Mudric was provisionally suspended by the Football Association after testing positive for doping. Just before his 24th birthday, Mudrick’s football career came to an abrupt end.
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Born in Krasnohrad, Ukraine, Mudrik first studied at the academies of Kharkiv and Dnipro Metalist before moving to Shakhtar Donetsk in 2016, where he had to wait two years before entering his professional career. After being loaned out to Arsenal Kiev and Desna Chernigov, Mudrik became a key figure in Shakhtar’s attack in the shortened 2021/22 season under the watchful eye of Roberto De Zerbi, who recalled him from his loan spell and later admitted “I would consider it a personal failure if I didn’t get him to a high level.”
With 12 goals and 17 assists in 44 games, Mudrik established himself as one of Ukraine’s best players and was named Ukrainian Footballer of the Year and Shakhtar’s Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Similar to the likes of Tani Oluwasei, Jason Shokaruk and Lennart Carr, Mudrick combines excellent ball-carrying ability with an X-factor, a confidence that allows him to think on his feet and become the protagonist of Shakhtar’s offense.
Chelsea won the race for Mudrik and signed him to an 8.5-year contract for a Ukrainian Super League record transfer fee of 70 million euros, with add-ons that could rise to 100 million euros, making him the most expensive Ukrainian player of all time. Mudric made his debut in the 0-0 draw with Liverpool and impressed with his blistering pace, elusive dribbling skills and eye for goal.
But in the end, Mudrik never successfully made the transition from the Ukrainian Premier League to the English Premier League. His first touch is still awkward, his shot is flattered, he gives the ball away too often and kills too many counter-attacks due to his careless and selfish decision-making. Although Mudrick scored 10 goals and 11 assists in 73 games, he was unable to prove his status as a player in the Premier League and Champions League.
PhotoIMAGO
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Still, Mudrik remained one of the most integral figures in Ukraine’s attack after making his debut in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which saw them beat Scotland before losing to Wales. He started in Ukraine’s first two Euros games in Germany after scoring in a do-or-die qualifier against Iceland to secure their spot. All things considered, Mudrik made 28 appearances for Synʹo-zhovti, scoring 3 goals and providing 5 assists.
But if Ukraine want to reach the FIFA World Cup for the first time since reaching the quarter-finals in 2006, they will have to do so without Mudrik. After playing in two UEFA Nations League games against Georgia and Albania, Mudric came on as a substitute against Leicester before starting and scoring in Leicester’s 2-0 win over German side Heidenheim. Little did he know, but this would be his 73rd Chelsea appearance and possibly the last of his career.
Mudrick provisionally suspended after test The test came back positive for meldonium, a performance-enhancing drug that was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list in 2016. Seven months later, he was formally charged by the FA in June 2025 with anti-doping violations and faced a ban of up to four years.
“I recently met Michelo in London and we are still in touch. What happened to him was just a very unfortunate period; I believe in his innocence and his character,” Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergey Palkin told EPL Index in an exclusive interview. “He is mentally strong, ambitious and determined to fight for his future. I am sure he will come back stronger – his best days are yet to come.”
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It remains to be seen whether Mudric will return to play for Chelsea, where he is contracted until June 2031, but one thing is for sure: Ukraine will have to make do without their elusive attacking dynamo as they look to return to the World Cup after two decades. Ukraine will play Sweden on March 26 and then potentially face Poland/Albania in the final. If they win both games, they will meet the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia in Group F.