Soccer-Chelsea undecided on Mudryk future, says Alonso

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has welcomed back winger Mykhailo Mudryk after a two-year doping suspension, but no decision has been made on his future with the club.

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said no decision has ​been made on Mykhailo Mudryk's future but expressed his ​delight at welcoming the winger back after ‌he ​was cleared to return to action following a lengthy doping suspension. The Ukraine international has not played for Chelsea since November 2024, spending nearly two years on the sidelines ‌after testing positive for a banned substance. He was cleared to resume playing on Friday after the English Football Association concluded disciplinary proceedings in agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency.

"No decision has been made. Everything has happened so quickly," Alonso told reporters on Tuesday. "The ‌main thing was thinking about the person and making him feel he was back in the group dynamic and part ‌of the team. We need to assess the situation, but he's a special player and it's a special case, so we need to be sensitive."

The Spaniard said the club's immediate focus was on helping Mudryk reintegrate into the squad after a prolonged spell away from competitive football. "We are thrilled that ⁠Mudryk is ​back with us. You could ⁠see his smile and how much it meant to him to be part of the team again because he's spent a long time training on ⁠his own," he said.

"As for his fitness level, we will see. He has been working hard, but now it's about doing things with teammates ​again, passing the ball and integrating into the team's dynamic. The feeling from everyone is that we're happy to ⁠have him back with the team." Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023 for an initial fee of £62 million ($83.4 million).

Alonso said his side were ready for ⁠the ​Premier League season, despite admitting the congested calendar left little room for a longer break than FIFA's recommended 21-day rest period. "The calendar is really intense, really demanding, and they probably deserve more, but we need to get ready for the ⁠competition. There is not much time to waste," he said.

"If you want long holidays, you don't play the World Cup. ⁠If you play the World Cup, ⁠normally you have less holidays. To have everything is difficult." Chelsea, who play Juventus in a friendly in Hong Kong on Wednesday, begin their Premier League campaign at Fulham on August 24.

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