He's going to come back - Maresca declares support for Mudryk

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed the club's full support for Mykhailo Mudryk, stating that they "trust" the winger did not knowingly ingest the banned substance that resulted in his failed drug test.

The Ukraine international is currently provisionally suspended by the Football Association (FA) following an "adverse finding" in a routine urine test.

Under FIFA guidelines, players found to have intentionally used banned substances can face bans of up to four years.

The 23-year-old has consistently denied any intentional wrongdoing.

Maresca conveyed the club's unwavering belief in Mudryk's innocence.

"We support Mykhailo and trust means that we believe Mykhailo. The club, the coaching staff and all of the people that are inside the training ground, we support and we trust Mykhailo," he said via BBC.

While the duration of Mudryk's suspension remains uncertain, Maresca expressed optimism about his eventual return.

"I think he is going to come back but we don't know when. But for sure he is going to come back," he affirmed.

Maresca confirmed that he has personally spoken with Mudryk since the suspension became public.

"Any kind of player that this kind of things happens to, they need support, you would need support and I would need support. It is not about his age or the country that he comes from," he said.

Mudryk's move to Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2023, in a deal potentially worth £89 million, has been under scrutiny due to his performances.

He has scored 10 goals in 73 appearances for the club. Mudryk has missed Chelsea's last five matches across all competitions, with Maresca previously attributing his absence to illness, a statement now brought into question by the doping revelation.