- Mykhailo Mudryk made his Chelsea return after 603 days, featuring against Juventus following the settlement of his doping case.
Mudryk returns after 603-day absence
Mykhailo Mudryk returned to action for Chelsea after a 603-day suspension ended following a settlement between the Football Association, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and the player.
The settlement followed updated WADA technical guidance on the reporting threshold for meldonium, alongside the agreement reached between all parties.
The player immediately joined Chelsea's preseason camp in Hong Kong and appeared against Juventus in the 82nd minute of the game instead of Nicolas Jackson. Chelsea players and the stadium welcomed the winger with huge applause on the ground.
How Mudryk performed against Juventus
Mudryk looked sharp despite limited minutes and immediately tried to influence Chelsea's attack.
He had 9 touches in the game, and two touches were in the opposition box. He played a pass to the final third, and another pass from him after receiving a through ball from Liam Delap almost reached Satpaev to find an equalizer in the final minutes of the game.
Although Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat, Mudryk's long-awaited return and another encouraging display from Estevão Willian provided positives ahead of the new season.