People who come across Mykhailo Mudryk often sense a distance. Intentionally or not, mystery attaches itself to the shy young man who caused such excitement when he turned up at Stamford Bridge in January 2023. None of the winger’s managers at Chelsea have been able to crack the code and the sense is that Mudryk’s guard will go higher after the Football Association provisionally suspended him after a positive drug test.
This is a story without winners. A career that promised so much is in danger of falling apart, and one of the saddest aspects of Mudryk’s plight is that his absence is unlikely to derail Chelsea’s burgeoning title challenge. Enzo Maresca will be able to cope perfectly well without the 23‑year‑old. Chelsea’s head coach is not short of options in attack. Mudryk, who has never looked settled since moving to England, is a mere afterthought these days.
