Xabi Alonso, Chelsea’s manager, has expressed cautious optimism regarding Mykhailo Mudryk’s return to the squad, stating that ‘it’s too early’ to definitively assess his capabilities. The winger, 25, has been provisionally suspended for returning an ‘adverse finding’ for the banned substance meldonium following a doping case with the Football Association (FA).
Following the FA’s termination of anti-doping proceedings following Mudryk’s breach of rules and agreement to a suspension of one year and eight months, Alonso explained that the player is joining Chelsea’s pre-season tour at Hong Kong, but hasn’t yet spoken with him.
Alonso stated that the timing of Mudryk’s return is premature. ‘It’s too early to tell how he is in terms of fitness, in terms of the game time you need to be involved again,’ he said. ‘It’s still too early to tell,’ he added.
However, Alonso acknowledged Mudryk’s return is a surprise, considering Chelsea’s squad already boasts a robust selection of alternative options on the wing. He cited Pedro Neto, Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens, and Geovany Quenda as available options, alongside Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, who can also play on the flanks.
‘We expect that it will take time,’ Alonso added. ‘He trained on his own every day, and I think it had to be really, really hard because he wanted to play football, he wanted to be part of a team, and he was not allowed to do that for such a long time.’
Alonso further emphasized that Mudryk hasn’t been able to train at Chelsea’s training ground or work with club staff, instead, he hired his own private coach and goalkeepers, and conducted training sessions at non-league side Uxbridge.
‘We expect that it will take time,’ Alonso said.
‘He trained on his own every day, and I think it had to be really, really hard because he wanted to play football, he wanted to be part of a team, and he was not allowed to do that for such a long time,’ he added.
Alonso also acknowledged Mudryk’s return is a surprise, given Chelsea’s established squad is full of alternative options on the wing.
‘Yeah, to be honest, we were not expecting to have this great news at this moment,’ he said.
Following his side’s win at Accor Stadium, Spurs boss Roberto de Zerbi said he still speaks to Mudryk, having been his manager at Shakhtar Donetsk before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
‘He is another who is my son,’ De Zerbi said. ‘I am very happy. He deserves to play.’
‘I have to say thank you to all my former players for what they gave me, especially Misha, because I left there because of the war. I left that team, that club, not for football, despite it being maybe the best level of football I have coached.’
Alonso added: ‘Yeah, I remember watching him at Shakhtar, the impact he had, how quick he was, how good he was in one-on-one situations and how he could create a lot of situations on his own. He’s a special player, but he will need time, for sure.’
‘Who made a terrible decision? How Chelsea and Spurs rated’
Mudryk’s return is a result of the FA’s resolution of the doping case following the initial breach of anti-doping rules.
The article provides further context on the player’s situation and the manager’s perspective on the situation, analyzing the implications for Chelsea’s squad and future plans.
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Source: BBC Football
