Mykhailo Mudryk reveals brutal reality of drugs ban as he had 20 months in wilderness and unable to train at Chelsea

MYKHAILO MUDRYK says he trained like a mad man to stay permanently ready for his Chelsea return. The Ukrainian, 25, was provisionally suspended in December 2024 after failing an anti-doping test. Mykhailo Mudryk was out of football action for 20 months Credit: Getty The Ukrainian stuck to a strict regime to stay ready for his Chelsea return Credit: Getty He was unable to train at Cobham, let alone play for the Blues, which led to 20 gruelling months of solo sessions – including some on the 3G pitch at non-league Uxbridge FC. Mudryk was cleared to return last month when an agreement was reached to reduce his four-year FA ban following an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Sign up for the Chelsea newsletter Thank you! And now he has shed light on the effort it took to stay razor-sharp so that he could hit the ground running whenever the call came. Mudryk told the Chelsea website: “I missed a lot of the process, the training sessions, games especially, to compete to win and to always be hungry for more. “I’d say it was like a pre-season for 18 months. So I’ve been training, I’ve been training hard. I didn’t give up and I just tried to work as hard as I could. “I was working six days a week with proper recovery, with a proper sleep schedule, food, everything. Everything was the same, just double sessions per day. “It was to come back and to show myself again in the football world. That was my mission and I knew what I had to do for that. Only through hard work can you reach something.” Mudryk, who set Chelsea back an initial £61million in 2023, returned to action in a friendly defeat to Juventus last week. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK But he missed a load of Stamford Bridge drama while he was away. The former Shakhtar Donetsk speedster was sidelined for Enzo Maresca‘s exit, two Calum McFarlane interim spells, Liam Rosenior‘s entire stint in charge, and Xabi Alonso‘s appointment. So he is relieved to now be back in the thick of the action. Mudryk added: “It’s been a while, so to stand back at the same training ground, it’s a really happy moment for me. “I feel good, I feel great. I’m grateful to be back on the pitch. It was such a nice feeling to see everyone again. It was a warm welcome.” Mudryk is expected to leave Chelsea on loan this summer, and he would reportedly favour a Premier League move over signing for Strasbourg or suitors from Italy. Comment now