Chelsea star admits squad were left in the dark over Mykhailo Mudryk’s failed drugs test
Today at 11:51 AM
Tosin Adarabioyo has revealed Chelsea players were unaware of the recent events surrounding Mykhailo Mudryk before it was made public.
The Ukrainian winger has been suspended from football after testing positive for banned substance Meldonium during a routine drugs test, and now faces a potential ban up to four years.
Mudryk has since released a statement in which he maintained his innocence, and claimed he had ‘not done anything wrong’.
His club teammate Tosin Adarabioyo has now revealed the Blues squad had found out about the 23-year-old’s news at the same time as the rest of the footballing world.
Speaking to the press ahead of Chelsea’s Europa Conference League match against Shamrock Rovers on Thursday, the defender was asked about the players’ response to Mudryk’s situation.
To this he replied: "It’s new news to all of us.
“We all found out at the same time as you guys, but we still support Misha, and hopefully things can get resolved."
Adarabioyo went on to reiterate that the Chelsea team will support Mudryk as they would a family member.
He continued: "there’s not much we can do in this situation, obviously it’s out of our hands, but Misha’s part of our family so we’re here to support him.”
The Ukraine star tested positive for the same substance which saw tennis legend Maria Sharapova receive an initial two-year sporting ban, after she was found to have taken it at the 2016 Australian Open.
Adarabioyo also admitted that the news surrounding Mudryk had prompted he and his teammates to take extra precautions.
On his teammate’s suspension serving as a warning, he said: “It’s something that can happen, but again, you have to take precautions.
“So all of us [Chelsea players] are now being very careful of what we’re taking, and the club’s supporting us with that.”
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has also come out in support of his player, as he revealed that the club ‘trust’ Mudryk’s insistence that he is innocent.
Speaking in the same press conference, he said: “Now the situation is a bit more clear. We have a statement from the club, who have already said what we need to say.
"So there is not anything to add. The club, the coaching staff and all the players inside the training ground support and trust Misha.
When asked if he believed that Mudryk is innocent, Maresca replied: “Exactly, it’s like this. What Misha said.”
He later added: “We all believe that [Mudryk is innocent] then [after] we will see.”
The Italian coach also expressed his confidence that the forward’s playing career will not be over even if he is hit with a lengthy ban should he be found guilty.
He said: “I think he is going to come back, The only thing is that we don’t know when.”
Mudryk cannot play football until his situation is resolved, and is currently following an individual training programme a home, as he is unable to train at Chelsea’s Cobham facility.
Reports of a potential ban for the Blues winger first surfaced in his native Ukraine, when it was reported that an 'A' urine sample taken in October was found to be positive for doping.
Mudryk is currently awaiting the result of a 'B' sample and whether or not it confirms the findings of his 'A' sample.
He has insisted that his positive sample was contaminated, with the former Shakhtar Donetsk star passing a drug test back in August and not changing any aspects of his diet since then.
Chelsea have also launched their own investigation into the matter.
