Mykhailo Mudryk made his first appearance for Chelsea in nearly 20 months during the club’s 1-0 friendly loss to Juventus on Wednesday in Hong Kong. The 25-year-old Ukrainian forward entered the match in the 82nd minute, marking his return to competitive action after a lengthy suspension related to a doping violation.

Mudryk had been sidelined since December 2024 following an initial four-year ban imposed by the Football Association (FA) after he tested positive for the banned substance meldonium. However, he successfully appealed the ruling last week, allowing him to resume playing ahead of schedule. Chelsea’s manager, Xabi Alonso, described Mudryk’s return as an emotional moment for both the player and the club, noting that it was his idea to have the forward participate for ten to fifteen minutes in the match. Alonso expressed relief and happiness to see Mudryk back on the pitch after such a prolonged absence.

During his time away from Chelsea’s training ground at Cobham, Mudryk remained active by working with a private coach and organizing training sessions against various players at Uxbridge, a seventh-tier English football club. This maintained his fitness and readiness for competitive play despite being unable to feature for Chelsea throughout most of the previous season.

Mudryk’s return comes amid reported interest from other clubs regarding a potential loan move for the season. Coventry City, managed by former Chelsea striker Frank Lampard, is among those expressing interest, as is Strasbourg, Chelsea’s sister club. Alonso stated that no final decision has been made about where Mudryk will be playing on a permanent or temporary basis this season.

In addition to Mudryk’s comeback, the friendly also saw the Chelsea debut of striker Danny Welbeck, who played the first half against the Italian side. Chelsea flew to Hong Kong on Monday to prepare for the match, signaling their intent to integrate Mudryk back into the squad gradually following his long layoff.

The friendly at Kai Tak Stadium marked Mudryk’s first competitive outing since November 2024, when he last appeared during a Conference League match against Heidenheim. The club and supporters welcomed his reappearance warmly, highlighting hope that his return will strengthen Chelsea’s attacking options moving forward.