Chelsea received one of the most significant pieces of news of its preseason with the return of Mykhailo Mudryk, who resumed work with the first team after spending nearly two years away from action.

The Ukrainian winger arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday to join the Blues’ tour and completed his first session on Monday since the anti-doping proceedings that had kept him off the pitch since late 2024 began.

A long wait comes to an end

Mudryk had not played a match for Chelsea since November 2024 and remained separated from the team while his case was being resolved.

The English Football Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency recently confirmed the resolution of the proceedings, allowing the 25-year-old to be immediately cleared to return to professional football.

During that period, the forward continued training individually, but he was unable to take part in official sessions or be considered for matches with the London club.

Xabi Alonso welcomes an unexpected addition

“I’m very happy for him, for me as well, but above all for him. We want him to feel part of the team because he has spent a long time training on his own,” the Spanish coach explained after the resolution of the case was confirmed.

Alonso also stressed that Mudryk’s physical and footballing progress will need to be assessed carefully before determining when he will be ready to feature in a match again.

A future that still needs to be defined

His return does not guarantee that Mudryk will immediately secure an important role in the team. The winger will have to compete for minutes in a revamped squad and prove that he can still rediscover the level that convinced Chelsea to sign him in January 2023.

His continued stay, a possible loan or even a transfer could be considered in the coming weeks, but the most immediate objective will be to complete his adaptation to collective training successfully.

After nearly two years marked by uncertainty, Mudryk is officially part of Chelsea’s first-team setup once again. The next step will be to find out when he can take that return from the training ground onto the pitch.