Mykhailo Mudryk drops major Chelsea return hint

Mykhailo Mudryk hints at Chelsea return amid doping ban has subtly hinted that he could be set to return to at some point in the near future amid his ongoing suspension for a positive doping test. The Ukraine forward was provisionally suspended by the Football Association in December 2024 after he tested positive for banned substance meldonium while on international duty in November, and he was subsequently handed a four-year ban earlier this year. Mudryk has appealed the ban with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), but an outcome has not yet been reached and he remains unable to train with his Chelsea team-mates or play competitively as a result. The 25-year-old’s last appearance for Chelsea came against Heidenheim in the Europa Conference League on 28 November 2024 and as he is unable to train with his team-mates, he has regularly been training alone throughout his sentence. The Blues are understood to be tracking his progress, but Mudryk’s ban means he has limited access to the club and its facilities. His absence has rarely been spoken about, however Mudryk has dropped a major hint that his ban could soon be lifted in his latest Instagram post. The Chelsea forward, who has been extremely quiet on social media since his ban was announced, posted a video of him scoring into the top corner while training with an individual goalkeeper and he captioned the post: “Stay tuned…” His girlfriend, model Jordyn Jones, responded by saying, “we’re ready” in the comments section, while Mudryk replied to a Chelsea fan with a message that read, “miss you too.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by МM (@mmudryk10) Analysis: Will Mykhailo Mudryk ever play for Chelsea again? While Mudryk’s post suggests that his four-year ban may be reduced soon, this has not yet been officially confirmed and his long-term future at Chelsea remains in serious doubt regardless. He hasn’t played competitively for close to two years and his match sharpness will undoubtedly have decreased significantly as a result of his prolonged absence. Furthermore, Mudryk was far from a regular in Chelsea’s preferred starting XI at the time of his ban, and the club will likely look to offload him if he is allowed to return to professional football. The Blues have signed Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho and Geovany Quenda since Mudryk last played for the club, while there are also high hopes for youngster Jesse Derry, who has joined Sporting CP on loan for the 2026-27 campaign. So, while Mudryk could be set for a return to action soon, if his latest Instagram post is anything to go by, he may have already made his final appearance for Chelsea.