Mykhailo Mudryk could make his Chelsea return on Wednesjin88bet.onejin88bet.oneday after being included in the squad for the friendly against Juventus in Hong Kong, ending a 20-month absence from football.
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The Ukraine international, 25, has not played a jin88bet.onejin88bet.onecompetitive match since November 2024, when he was provisionally suspended after returning an “adverse finding” for the banned substance meldonium.
Mudryk was cleared to resume playing last week afak168app.babyter resolving his case with the Football Associatiak168app.babyon. He has now travelled with Chelsea to Hong Kong and could feature against Juventus at Kai Tak Stadium.
New Chelseaak168app.babak168app.babyy head coach Xabi Alonso said Mudryk was available for selection, although he wak168app.babyarned that playing a full match would be premature.
“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.
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“He trained yesteak168app.clubrday, came directly from the airport to tak168app.clubhe hotel. So, yesterday was more about the feelings, more about the emotions, to be back with the players to assess the fitness level.”
Mudryk received a strong reception when his image appeared on the big screen at Kai Tak Stadium during Chelsea’s openks168app.site training session beks168app.sitefore the Juventus match.
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He joined the wider squad for the warm-up as Elton John’s I’m Still Standing was played over the stadium’s public address system. Mudryk was also involved in possession drills and jokingly wrestled with defender Tosin Adarabioyo before one ofks168app.site the exercises.
He initially trained with a group expected to feature among the substitutes on Wednesday during a set-piece session led by new coach Austin MacPhee, who joined Chelsea from Aston Villa.
Mudryk later worked with Alonso in a second drill, operating as one of two left-sided wingers ic88ic88practising attacking patterns.
The session marked a striking change in circumstances for a player who had arrived in Hong Kong onlyic88 36 hours earlier after flying from London with goalkeepers Mikeic88 Penders and Gabriel Slonina, wingers Geovany Quenda and Pedro Neto, and new signing Danny Welbeck.
His arrival came shortly after Chelsea announced that he was available to play again.
People close to Mudryk and others at Chelsea say he felt genuine excitement and relief at returning ic88to the dressing room, where he remains familiar with many of his team-mates.
Chelsea also trained on Monday. Before that session, the club filmed Mudryk pointing towards the Chelsea badge, apparently showing his appreciaic88tion for the support he received during his time away.
The limited videos and images releaseic88d by Chelsea showed him taking a full part in the drills, aic88nd he appeared to have quickly re-established himself within the squad.
During the restrictions imposed by his suspension, Chelsea monitored Mudryk’s physilr88cal and mental condition. Several of his team-mates also remained in contact with him and offered encouragement.
Mudryk is underslr88lr88tood to be pleased with the way Chelsea treated him, although his proslr88pects will also depend on the work he did during the 20 months away from competitive football.
According to people close to the player, he worked hard to protect his career by maintaining consistency and intensity in tralr88lr88lr88ining.
He hired a private coach and arranged sessions with goalkeepers and outfield players at Honeycroft Stadium, the home of seventh-tier club Uxbridge FC. His coach also took him to Austria for a training camp lasting several weeks thislr88 summer, in anticipation of a possible return to football.
However, the timing of his clearance came as a surprise to Mudryk, his representatives and Chelselr88lr88a after disculr88ssiolr88ns between his legal team and the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
Mudryk’s future remains uncertain
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Mudryk has also been seen playing table tennis with team-mates at Chelsea’s hotel, where a number of supporters gathered hoping to obtain his autoglr88raph.
The next question is whether his training programme has prepared him sufficiently to convince Alonso and, eventually, help him rediscover the form that earned him the nickname “the Ukrainian Neymar”.
Chelsea have received approaches from three Premier League clubs over a possible loan move, including former manager Frank Lampardop88’s Coventry City, while at least three clubs from overseas have also shown interest.
Several clubs have contacted Mudryk’s representatives, with especially strong interest coming from Italy.
A move to Strasbourg is another possible option. Strasbourg are part of the same American ownership group as Chelsea, although Mudryk would use one of the club’s four available non-EU regisi88stration places.
Chelsea, Msi88si88udryk and his representatives have agreesi88si88d to an initial two-week assessment period to examine how he copes with returning to an elite football environment.
The outcome is expected to influence his next move and could provide clarity shortly before the transfer deadline on 1 September. Multiple sources say every option remains open.
Asked about Mudryk’s future before Wednesday’s friendly against Juventus at Kai Tak Stadium, Alonso said: “No decision has been made. Everything has happened so quick, so the main thing is thinking about the person, to feel that he 88vwas back in the group dy88v88v88v88vnamic, part of a team, and we need tSEXXXXX-VNo assess [how he is doing].
“But for sure, he’s a special player. It’s a special case with him, so we need to be sensitive.
Mudryk has five years remaining on his Chelsea contracSEXXXXX-VNSEXXXXX-VNt, which runs until 2031.
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