Yuliia Perekopaiko / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
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Mykhailo Mudryk is back in training with Chelsea after a 20-month absence, following the resolution of the anti-doping proceedings that had kept the Ukrainian winger sidelined since December 2024.
The 25-year-old rejoined the squad during Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Australia and Asia, and made his first appearance back on the pitch as a substitute in a friendly against Juventus in Hong Kong.
“Of course I’m very happy,” said Mudryk. “It’s been a while, so to stand back at the same training ground, it’s a really happy moment for me. I feel good, I feel great. I’m grateful to be back on the pitch.”
Mudryk credited a rigorous self-imposed regime for allowing him to return in strong physical condition. “I’d say it was like a pre-season for 18 months,” he said. “I was working six days a week with proper recovery, with proper sleep schedule, food, everything. Everything was the same, just double sessions per day.”
Several Chelsea team-mates have noted the fitness levels Mudryk has displayed since his return. The player said his goal throughout the layoff was clear: “It was to come back and to show myself again in the football world. That was my mission and I knew what I had to do for that. Only through hard work can you reach something.”
Mudryk is now back at Chelsea’s Cobham training base as manager Xabi Alonso finalises the squad’s preparations for the new campaign.