Mykhailo Mudryk poised for return following ban but Xabi Alonso coy on Chelsea future - 'We need to be sensitive'
Updated 04/08/2026 at 19:34 GMT+1
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After 20 months on the sidelines, Mykhailo Mudryk could make his long-awaited return to action on Wednesday after being named in Chelsea's squad to face Juventus in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong. But what has Xabi Alonso said about his future?
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Video credit: SNTV
Mudryk was last week given the green light to restart his career having been handed a four-year ban after a doping control test on October 22, 2024, found meldonium - a prohibited substance - in his system.
The Ukraine winger appealed the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and last Thursday the Football Association said in a statement that Mudryk is "no longer ineligible and may return to competition with immediate effect."
The 25-year-old, who has not played a competitive match since November 2024, was named in the Chelsea squad to face Juventus on Wednesday, with head coach Alonso confirming he could make his return.
"Yes, he could play. Maybe [to play] 90 minutes it's too early, but he can be selected. He's selected, so he can play," he told reporters.
"He trained yesterday, came directly from the airport to the hotel. So, yesterday was more about the feelings, more about the emotions, to be back with the players to assess the fitness level."
Mudryk moved to Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 for ÂŁ62 million, and has registered 10 goals and 11 assists in 73 appearances in all competitions for The Blues.
During his time away from the first team, Mudryk trained at the home of seventh-tier side, Uxbridge FC, to stay fit.
Mudryk was given a warm welcome onto the pitch at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong during an open training session.
The Ukraine international, who has a contract at Chelsea until 2031, appeared in good spirits as he rejoined his teammates on the training field.
But Alonso remained coy about Mudryk's future at Stamford Bridge.
"No decision has been made. Everything has happened so quickly, so the main thing is thinking about the person, to feel that he was back in the group dynamic, part of a team, and we need to assess [how he is doing]," he said.
"But for sure, he's a special player. It's a special case with him, so we need to be sensitive."
According to reports, Mudryk has attracted interest from at least three Premier League clubs about the possibility of signing the forward this summer.
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'We are happy for him' - Alonso welcomes Mudryk back to Chelsea squad
Video credit: SNTV
One of those is reportedly Coventry City, who are coached by Mudryk's former head coach at Chelsea, Frank Lampard.
A potential option could be to spend a year on loan at Strasbourg in France, with the Ligue 1 club owned by the same group as Chelsea.
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Mudryk has a plethora of attacking talent he has to compete with at Chelsea.
Pedro Neto, Jamie Gittens, Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Estevao are all competing for spots in Alonso's starting XI.
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