Alonso welcomes Mudryk return to Chelsea squad
Xabi Alonso has revealed Mykhailo Mudryk will join Chelsea in Hong Kong for the next leg of its pre-season tour.
Mudryk has not featured for Chelsea since November 2024 after receiving a four-year suspension as he returned an adverse finding for the banned substance meldonium.
The 25-year-old appealed the decision via the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and the FA confirmed his ban had been lifted with immediate effect.
Chelsea heads to Hong Kong for the next part of its pre-season campaign, with a friendly against Juventus lined up on 6 August (AEST).
Mudryk is eager to get back on the pitch for the Blues, and manager Alonso is pleased to see the Ukrainian return.
"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," Alonso said.
"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.
"I remember watching him at Shakhtar, the impact he had, how good he was in one-v-one situations. He could create a lot of situations on his own. He is a special player.
"To be honest, we were not expecting to have this great news at this moment but we were happy."
Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023 and has made 73 appearances for the Blues.
He has scored 10 goals and provided eight assists, while he still has five years remaining on his current deal.
