Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin says morale is low as Mykhailo Mudryk continues to be suspended as he awaits sentencing after testing positive for the banned drug meldonium. The Chelsea winger has not featured for the Blues since December 2024 and has been charged by the Football Association with anti-doping offenses.
Mudryk could face a ban of up to four years, but the penalty has not yet been finalized, and the World Anti-Doping Agency announced in November that he was awaiting disciplinary proceedings from the FA. Palkin, who watched Mudryk develop through Shakhtar’s academy and his £88.5m move to Chelsea, is confident the Ukrainian international’s legal team will find a solution to allow the 25-year-old to return to the pitch at the earliest opportunity.
The executive continues to meet with Mudrik and provide support.
“For me, it’s a shame what happened, because I’ve never seen a player like Mudryk,” Palkin said. “I remember him from our academy.
“He was a hard-working, tough guy who trained much more than the other players. He stayed after training.
“For me, it’s very unfortunate that something like this has happened, because this man has done everything in his life to stay at the top level. What is happening to him now is unfair. I believe that his lawyers will find a solution and that he will return to football as soon as possible.”
“I come to London from time to time to meet him and support him, because for me it is very important that he feels that he has people behind him who support him.”
In recent weeks, Mudryk has appeared to be ramping up his training regime in public. The winger works independently from Chelsea and posts about his personal training sessions on Instagram.
Mudryk enlisted the help of a goalkeeper and personal coach to ensure he was fit for the match, and rented a 3G pitch at Honeycroft, home of Southern League Premier Division South side Uxbridge. Palkin revealed that despite players feeling depressed, they remain committed to maintaining their daily fitness levels.
“He’s training. FIFA rules say he can’t stay in the camp, so he’s training alone,” he said. “He spends almost every day training and keeps himself at a good level both physically and mentally.
“At the moment the atmosphere is not so good, but he believes that everything should be fine and he intends to return to football as soon as possible.”
