Mykhailo Mudryk got a great reception when he made a late substitute appearance for Chelsea in their pre-season match against Juventus. The Ukrainian came on in the 82nd minute for Nicolas Jackson. However, he was unable to prevent the Blues from falling to a 1-0 defeat in Hong Kong.
This was Mudryk's first game since November 2024. He had been suspended since testing positive for doping. The winger was given a four-year ban. However, at the end of last month, all charges were dropped.
Before his ban, Mudryk had scored 10 goals with 11 assists in 73 games for Chelsea. He is still only 25 and will be looking to make up for lost time after missing nearly two years of football.
Mudryk won the Europa Conference League with Chelsea despite being suspended in the latter stages of the tournament. He was prolific in the group stage, scoring three goals and making three assists in just four games.
The Ukrainian also has an EFL Cup runners-up medal with Chelsea. He helped them get to the final in 2025, where they lost to Liverpool on penalties. Mudryk scored in a quarter-final win over Newcastle United and made a substitute appearance in the final.
His recent appearance for Chelsea was brief, so we still do not know what Mudryk's form will be like after missing so much football. He could be like a new signing for Chelsea and a great option on the left wing.
What does the future hold for Mykhailo Mudryk?
Chelsea's only other out-and-out left-winger is Jamie Gittens. However, he has so far failed to live up to expectations after joining from Borussia Dortmund. Last season, Gittens scored just once and made five assists in 27 games for the Blues. He also missed the second half of the campaign with a hamstring injury.
There is an expectation that new signing Morgan Rogers could play on the left wing for Chelsea next season. Rogers, who was signed for £117 million from Aston Villa, is predominantly an attacking midfielder. However, Cole Palmer also favors that position. Therefore, Rogers may have to play off the left, which he has done so previously in his career.
Mudryk can also play on the right wing. However, Chelsea have an abundance of options in that position. They already have Estevao, Pedro Neto and Geovany Quenda on the right flank.
There has been talk of Mudryk going to Coventry City. There, he would play under Chelsea legend Frank Lampard in their first season back in the Premier League. Mudryk played under Lampard when the now-Coventry boss was Chelsea's interim head coach. However, the Ukrainian did not have the best record under Lampard, making just one assist and failing to score in eight games.
A better option for Mudryk would be to go on loan to Strasbourg. This has been rumoured to be an option. Strasbourg is Chelsea's sister club, so a deal could be straightforward. The Blues should also be able to recall him easily if he gets back to his best form.
The Chelsea supporters have already shown their appreciation for seeing Mudryk return. It would also be a boost for Ukrainians to see one of their star players back in action. Ukraine is still at war with Russia, so this could help with morale in the country. Mudryk has 28 caps for Ukraine and will be expecting to add to this tally now that he has returned to club football.
Chelsea have a bloated squad, so it would not be a surprise if Mudryk does move to either Coventry or Strasbourg. Xabi Alonso will have to make some tough decisions to trim down his squad ready for the upcoming campaign.
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