Mykhailo Mudryk offered fresh route back as Chelsea consider loan move

Mykhailo Mudryk has been given a glimpse of a way back into football after returning to the pitch for Chelsea during their pre-season preparations, but the club are also considering sending the Ukraine winger out on loan.

Mudryk featured against Juventus before making further appearances against AC Milan and Johor. His involvement has been limited to a combined 16 minutes, but the matches represent an important step for a player whose last competitive appearance came in November 2024.

The 25-year-old joined Chelsea as one of the most highly rated emerging talents in Ukraine and one of the most promising players in Eastern Europe. However, his time at the London club has not developed as expected, while Chelsea have also endured a period in which they have failed to deliver the success anticipated after significant investment in the squad.

Mudryk’s progress was then halted by a suspension connected to a doping case. He was initially banned for four years from playing football or training at professional level, bringing his career to an abrupt standstill.

The winger has refused to accept that the suspension should mark the end of his time at the highest level. During his absence, he continued to train individually at a non-professional club’s ground in London as he attempted to maintain his fitness and wait for an opportunity to return.

His name has remained in the public discussion for a number of reasons, including an appearance connected with the game Counter-Strike. However, his determination to resume his career finally began to produce tangible results during the summer of 2026, when he was handed limited opportunities in Chelsea’s friendly fixtures.

The club now have a large squad to manage and are looking to make changes in attack. Head coach Xabi Alonso is working to reduce the number of players available to him and reshape his options as Chelsea address some difficulties in planning for the new season.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, Mudryk is among the players Chelsea hope to loan to a European club. A temporary move would offer him the chance to play regularly and gradually rebuild his form after such a lengthy period away from competitive football.

Mudryk has been linked with Coventry City, who have recently been promoted to the EFL Championship under manager Frank Lampard. However, interest from Strasbourg has gathered momentum in recent weeks.

Chelsea could provide financial support to help facilitate a move to France. That assistance would be intended to create suitable conditions for Mudryk to regain his level and secure the regular minutes he is unlikely to receive immediately at Stamford Bridge.

English media, including the BBC, have reported that Mudryk would prefer to remain in England. His hope is to join a Premier League club, although no destination has yet been confirmed.

There is also interest from clubs in Italy, leaving the player with several possible options during the current transfer window.

Despite the difficulties of the past 18 months, Chelsea retain some optimism about Mudryk’s long-term prospects. His contract with the club runs until 2031, giving them time to assess whether he can eventually fulfil the potential that prompted his arrival.

The immediate challenge is for Mudryk to recover his physical and technical sharpness before earning a sustained run of first-team football. That may come at Chelsea or through another loan spell elsewhere.

His brief return to action could therefore become the beginning of a revival, or the first stage of a departure from Chelsea in search of the regular football needed to put his career back on track.