Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk has been provisionally suspended after news broke out on Tuesday that the attacker was notified of a positive drug test by the Football Association during a routine anti-doping test.
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The substance the Ukrainian tested positive for was meldonium, a banned metabolic substance similar to insulin used to enhance endurance. The medication is commonly used in Eastern European countries for conditions such as angina, heart disease, cardiac arrhythmia, arteriosclerosis, and diabetes. The medication is not approved for use in the United Kingdom or the United States, but it is manufactured in Latvia and licensed in several Eastern European and Baltic countries.
Meldonium was notably the reason behind the suspension of renowned tennis player Maria Sharapova in 2016 when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had just listed it as a prohibited substance. The five-time Grand Slam winner was initially banned for two years, although it was later reduced to 15 months. She revealed that she had taken meldonium since 2006 for health problems and was allowed to return to tennis in January 2017.
"The club and Mykhailo fully support the FA's testing program, and all our players, including Mykhailo, are regularly tested. Mykhailo has categorically confirmed that he has never knowingly used banned substances. Mykhailo and the club will now work with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of this positive result."
Mudryk had been absent from the club's training ground for two weeks before his positive drug test was announced, according to The Telegraph. Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, has cited illness as the major cause of Mudryk’s absence.
Mudryk has faced challenges at Chelsea since joining the club in 2023, and now his future at Chelsea is uncertain as he awaits the outcome of a positive test, which may result in a lengthy ban from the game.
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