Chelsea’s Mudryk risks lengthy ban after failing drug test 

Mykhailo Mudryk, a Chelsea winger, has tested positive for a banned substance during a routine drug test by the English FA.

In a statement on Tuesday, Chelsea said the FA had contacted the player over “an adverse finding in a routine urine test”.

The club added that “Mykhailo has confirmed categorically that he has never knowingly used any banned substances”.

Mudryk, in a post on his Instagram page, described the result as “complete shock”.

The Ukrainian insisted that he had not “done anything wrong” and was cooperating with the FA on the investigation.

The FA is yet to state which banned substance was found in Mudryk’s urine test.

Mudryk has missed the past five Chelsea matches in all competitions. He last played for the club in November. He was last included in Chelsea’s matchday squad on December 1, when the Blues won against Aston Villa. He was named a substitute but never featured.

Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s head coach, had said publicly that Mudryk’s absence was due to illness.

In February, Paul Pogba was handed a four-year ban after one of the player’s tests the previous August had returned with elevated levels of testosterone.

The ban was eventually reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in October.