Mykhailo Mudryk is back in training with Chelsea, yet his return does not settle much. The winger's anti-doping case has been resolved, but Xabi Alonso is still working out whether Mudryk can rejoin the squad properly, needs a loan or becomes a sale option. After such a long absence, the comeback is the easy part. The decision that follows looks much harder.

The road back to Chelsea training

Mudryk was provisionally suspended in December 2024 after an adverse finding in a routine urine test on international duty with Ukraine. He was then charged in June 2025 and later faced a four-year ban before the case was resolved on appeal with a suspension equal to the time already served.

There is an important detail in the background too. The FA and WADA rule context means the meldonium concentration in his sample would not have triggered a violation today.

Mudryk described the spell as the hardest of his career. He told goal.com: "This has been the most difficult period of my career. As I have always maintained from the outset of this case, I have never knowingly or intentionally taken any banned substance."

Chelsea are not pretending he can jump straight back in. Alonso has been clear on that point. Speaking to goal.com, he said: "It's too early to tell how he is in terms of fitness, in terms of the game time you need to be involved again, so it's still too early to tell."

That caution makes sense. Mudryk trained on his own for a long period, and Alonso said a full return to fitness and sharpness will take longer. The manager sounded pleased to have him back, but not close to making a football decision on him yet.

There is also a reminder here that Mudryk did not disappear while playing badly. His last five competitive matches before the suspension included two goals, and he finished that stretch with a 7.7 rating in his final pre-ban appearance.

The choices Chelsea have now

Chelsea's problem is not whether Mudryk is available again. It is what to do with him once he is available. Alonso is assessing a player who has been out since 2024, while the squad has moved on around him.

That is why the loan talk has picked up quickly. Coventry are one of the Premier League clubs said to be interested, and Strasbourg have also been mentioned as Chelsea weigh their options. Reports differ on the exact number of interested Premier League and European clubs, so the safest reading is that there is genuine market interest without a settled queue.

The Coventry angle is easy enough to understand. Frank Lampard has already worked with Mudryk, who made eight appearances under him during his second spell as Chelsea boss. If Chelsea decide the winger needs a reset rather than immediate reintegration, a familiar manager would be a sensible starting point.

Still, a move anywhere would be premature if Chelsea have not finished their own assessment. Alonso repeated that line in stronger terms when he spoke about how long Mudryk had spent training alone and how much he had missed being part of a team. Chelsea's first task is to establish what level he is actually at.

That also makes any permanent-exit talk look early. The club can send him out, keep him in the squad or listen to offers, but none of those routes has been fixed yet. For now, Mudryk's future is less about transfer noise and more about whether he can get back to a level that makes a proper football case for staying.

The next checkpoint in Hong Kong

Chelsea's training group in Hong Kong has already underlined how crowded the picture is, and Alonso is under no pressure to force this. Mudryk has rejoined the group, but he is coming back into a squad environment that has kept moving during his absence.

The next concrete date is Wednesday, when Chelsea face Juventus at Kai Tak Sports Park. Even if Mudryk is not ready for a meaningful role there, that fixture is the next point at which Chelsea's careful words about his comeback meet an actual team sheet.

FAQ

Why is Mykhailo Mudryk back in Chelsea training now?

Mudryk has returned to Chelsea training after his anti-doping case was resolved on appeal with a suspension equal to the time already served. He had been provisionally suspended in December 2024 after an adverse finding in a routine urine test while on international duty with Ukraine, then charged in June 2025.

Will Chelsea keep Mykhailo Mudryk this season?

Chelsea have not made that call yet. Xabi Alonso has said it is too early to judge Mudryk's fitness, sharpness and game-time readiness after such a long period training alone. The club are assessing whether he can stay in the squad, go on loan or leave permanently.

Are Coventry interested in signing Mykhailo Mudryk?

Coventry are among the clubs linked with Mudryk, but nothing is settled. Reports say they are one of the Premier League sides interested, and Frank Lampard already knows the player from eight appearances during his second spell as Chelsea boss.

Why is Strasbourg being mentioned in Mykhailo Mudryk talks?

Strasbourg are part of the discussion because Chelsea are weighing several options for Mudryk's next step rather than rushing him straight back into the first-team picture. His return to training has reopened the question of whether he stays, goes on loan or is sold.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 7 outlets. How we work →