Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has heaped praise on Mykhailo Mudryk after he was cleared to start training again. He said that the Ukrainian star is a special player and he is looking forward to working with him.
Speaking to the media, Alonso said he is aware of Mudryk and recalled the winger’s performances for Shakhtar Donetsk. He admitted that the forward needs time to regain match fitness after being out of action since 2024 and said:
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“Yeah, I remember watching him in Shakhtar, the impact he had, how quick he is, how good in one-on-one situations, how he could create a lot of situations on his own, and he’s a special player, but he will take time for sure.” (via Football London)
Talking about the news and the reaction to the Mudryk news yesterday, Alonso added:
“Yes, we are happy for him, especially for him, because probably we are not able to understand what he has been through in this time and how does he feel at the moment with the things that he had to cope with. We want that he feels part of a team, because he has been training on his own for a long time, and that we have the support from everyone, from the club, from the teammates, from the staff, and for sure it will take time. So once he is with us, we will see how things develop.”
When quizzed if the forward will be added straight to the squad, Alonso said that they were waiting to see how he trains. He said:
“I am very happy for him, for me for sure, but mainly for him, because it’s massive. As I’ve said, to go through what he has done, to get that frustration not to play what you love to do, it has to be really, really hard. So now for sure he’s so excited, and we want to help him in that, and that he feels part of something, because that’s about football, about being a team, this team spirit, this team everyday training, and you miss that when you are not allowed.”
Mykhailo Mudryk will be joining the Chelsea squad in Hong Kong next week, along with Mike Penders and Geovany Quenda.
Mykhailo Mudryk cleared to play for Chelsea after ban ended
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk was cleared after his doping ban ended this week. The Ukrainian was banned in 2024 after a low concentration of meldonium was found in his sample.
However, the latest changes to WADA documents regarding meldonium have cleared the Chelsea star. Reports suggest the same sample tested with the new ruled would not have banned him.
Edited by Sripad