The London club's coach expressed support for his Ukrainian protégé.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has commented for the first time on the information that the team's Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk has tested positive for doping.
The Blues' coach supported the 23-year-old Ukrainian at a press conference on the eve of the final 6th round match of the main round of the Conference League against Irish Shamrock Rovers. According to him, everyone in the team trusts Mykhailo and believes that he is not guilty.
See also: Mudrik, Besedin, Srna, Rybka and others: all the doping scandals in Ukrainian football
“Now the situation has become a little clearer, the club has published a statement. There is nothing to add here. The entire staff supports Misha and believes in him. When something like this happens, you need to support the player in all aspects. Mudrik is a Chelsea player, of course, he remains part of the team, so I am in touch with him.
This is not the first time in football, it has happened before. They know very well what they need to do. Of course, we are all very upset, but we are here to support Misha. I spoke to him a few days ago. He cannot train yet. We are waiting. The club is ready to support the player.
When did they do the test? Honestly, I don’t know. We trust Mudrik, we support him. We and he have already said everything. This is the first time this has happened to me. Such things happen not only to young players, but also to experienced ones. It is my duty to support, because from the very beginning we try to establish a close enough relationship with the players. It is the same with Misha. I am here to help him with everything he needs.
We all believe that Mudrik is not guilty. Is this the end of his career at Chelsea? No, I don’t think so. I think he will return, although we don’t know when – this is the only doubt we have at the moment, but he will definitely return.
As for Mudryk's game, he has certainly improved a lot. He has come to understand what position he needs to stay in. I think he has improved a lot in the last two or three games. The talent we see in training is exactly the same,” Maresca said.
The Chelsea vs. Shamrock Rovers match will take place on Thursday, December 19, at Stamford Bridge in London. The match kicks off at 22:00 Kyiv time.
Having won five of five matches, the Londoners lead the overall standings of the Conference League main round with 15 points, with a goal difference of 21:4.
Let us recall that on the night of December 17 it became known that Mudrik had tested positive for doping. A prohibited substance was found in the player's “A” sample. According to information of a number of media outlets, it was meldonium. Mikhail was temporarily suspended from football.
It is expected that the “B” sample will be opened in the coming days. After that, it will become clear whether Mudrik faces disqualification and, if so, for how long.
Mudrik himself has already confirmed the information about his positive doping test on social networks. Mikhail assured that he did not use any prohibited substances and promised to tell more when the investigation is over and the situation becomes clear.
Chelsea has also made an official statement about Mudrik's failed doping test. It notes that Mikhail categorically claims that he has never knowingly used any prohibited drugs.
This season, Mudrik has played 15 matches for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring three goals and making five assists.
