Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk made an emotional return to competitive action on Wednesday, ending a nearly two-year absence after his anti-doping suspension was reduced, but his comeback could not prevent the Blues from slipping to a 1-0 preseason defeat against Juventus in Hong Kong.
The Ukraine international entered the match in the 82nd minute at Kai Tak Stadium, receiving a warm ovation from teammates and the crowd of 43,575 as he stepped onto the field for the first time since November 2024.
Mudryk had been sidelined after returning an adverse analytical finding for meldonium in December 2024.
The English Football Association initially handed him a four-year suspension, but the 25-year-old successfully appealed the decision and was cleared to resume his career last Friday after disciplinary proceedings concluded in agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The winger consistently maintained that he had never knowingly or intentionally taken a banned substance.
