Mykhailo Mudryk’s return from doping ban ‘great news’ for Chelsea, says Xabi Alonso

Xabi Alonso has welcomed Mykhailo Mudryk’s chance to return to Chelsea training following his doping ban but insists patience is required while the winger returns to fitness.

On Friday, a resolution between the Football Association (FA) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was reached over an anti-doping violation.

Mudryk has not played for Chelsea since November 2024 after an adverse finding in a urine sample. He was provisionally suspended and then handed a four-year ban by the FA in April this year, a verdict he lodged an appeal against to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The 25-year-old has had to train away from all Chelsea facilities on his own during this period. But he is now able to join up with the squad for the first time on their pre-season tour and will be with them in Hong Kong, where they face Juventus on Wednesday.

“We are happy for him, especially for him, because probably we are not able to understand what he has been through during this time and how he feels at the moment with the things he has had to cope with,” Alonso said on Saturday, following a pre-season match against Tottenham Hotspur.

“We want him to feel part of the team because he’s been training on his own for a long time. He has the support of everyone: the club, the team-mates and the staff.

“To be honest, we were not expecting to have this great news at this moment. I remember watching him at (former club) Shakhtar (Donetsk), the impact he had and how good he is. He was very good in one-v-one situations and could create a lot of situations on his own. He’s a special player.”

Mudryk last played for Chelsea in the Conference League in November 2024 (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Alonso has yet to speak to the Ukraine international but wants to set realistic expectations given his prolonged absence from competitive action.

He added: “(He needs) patience. We can expect that with Mudryk, it will take time. For him it is a massive change. He was training on his own every day. Now this big change has happened, things will move on. Then we will see if it’s quicker or slower, but we need to be aware of that.”

Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi is also delighted Mudryk can now get his career back on track. Mudryk played under the Italian coach at Shakhtar in 2021-22.

He said: “I am very happy, he deserves to play. He is a top guy, good player. I hope he can show what he suffered in the last two years in this next season. Maybe not against Tottenham but he is a lovely guy and a very, very good player.”