Head coach of the Ukrainian national team Andrea Maldera assessed the likelihood of Chelsea winger Mikhail Mudrik joining the national team after the suspension is lifted.

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The Italian specialist gave an interview to the VZBIRNA YouTube channel.

“Whether to have a player of Mudrik’s caliber or not, the choice is obvious. It's one hundred percent better to have. We are all incredibly happy - the UAF management, the technical staff and the players with whom I have already discussed this.

I remember he missed almost two years. I'm waiting for Mudrik, but I'm not going to push. It's not easy to come back after such a break.. This is an incredibly important player for the Ukrainian national team. I hope that he will be with us at the next training camp,” Maldera said.

The Ukrainian national team is preparing for the start of the new season of the League of Nations. The team will compete in Division B, where it will start in September, when it will meet on the road with Hungary (September 25) and Georgia (September 28). Then the team will play against Northern Ireland (October 2) and Hungary (October 5).

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On December 17, 2024, it became known about Mudrik’s positive doping test. Ukrainian football player fails test for meldonium after the match of the Ukrainian national team. The footballer was later banned for four years by the FA and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)..

The case was settled after the FA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reached an agreement and the player's suspension was equal to the time already served. This was influenced by the update of WADA technical documents, which increased the maximum permissible dose of a substance in a sample. Mudrik had such low levels of meldonium in his body that this level is no longer considered a disorder.

Earlier it was reported that Mudryk was included in Chelsea's squad for the season with a new number.