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Mudryk Returns After 20-Month Ban as Chelsea Lose 1-0

8/6/2026

46 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Mykhailo Mudryk returned in the 82nd minute of Chelsea’s friendly against Juventus after a 20-month ban.
Chelsea lost 1-0 as Edon Zhegrova scored in the 68th minute.
Xabi Alonso said Mudryk’s comeback was emotional, the player was thrilled, and 43,575 fans cheered.
Mudryk, suspended for meldonium since November 2024, was cleared by the FA on Friday and remains under contract until 2031 while on loan.

History

Historical Context

In August 2016 WADA added the heart-drug meldonium to its prohibited list, a move that followed the agency’s 2013 code amendment and the 2007 adoption by more than 600 sports bodies of stricter anti-doping rules after the Russian doping scandal. The International Tennis Federation then suspended Maria Sharapova for two years, echoing later enforcement actions such as Mykhailo Mudryk’s 2025 reinstatement.

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Story summary

Mykhailo Mudryk returned in the 82nd minute of Chelsea’s friendly against Juventus after a 20-month ban.
Chelsea lost 1-0 as Edon Zhegrova scored in the 68th minute.
Xabi Alonso said Mudryk’s comeback was emotional, the player was thrilled, and 43,575 fans cheered.
Mudryk, suspended for meldonium since November 2024, was cleared by the FA on Friday and remains under contract until 2031 while on loan.

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