- The winger received all the support of the Italian coach in the midst of the turbulent news
- Mudryk is believed to have tested positive for the banned substance meldonium.
- LISTEN NOW: It’s all starting! The reason why Pep Guardiola would leave Manchester City
Enzo Maresca insists Chelsea have full confidence in Mykhailo Mudryk and believes the 23-year-old Ukrainian can prove his innocence to return from his suspension.
The £89million winger has not been in the Blues’ matchday squad for their last four matches, and it is now known that he has been suspended from football after a positive drugs test.
Maresca was questioned about Mudryk in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday ahead of facing Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League on Thursday.
For the first time since the news broke, the 44-year-old Italian said: “We trust Misha. We support him. What Misha said, and what we said, is that we trust Misha and we support Misha.
‘We are all upset and sad. I spoke to him a few days ago. At the moment he can’t train. We are waiting. The club is here to support the player.
Mykhailo Mudryk has received a provisional suspension after failing a drug test
Enzo Maresca gave his full support to the player in his first press conference since the news broke
The Ukrainian is awaiting the results of his ‘B’ sample after the ‘A’ sample tested positive
“There is nothing to add other than the club, all the staff support and trust Misha.
‘It is general support. We trust Misha. When this kind of thing happens, you have to support your player in every aspect. Misha is a Chelsea player. It is my duty to be in contact with him. “Me, the club, the player.”
When asked directly if he believes Mudryk is innocent, Maresca said: ‘We all believe that. And then we’ll see.’
Maresca had previously attributed Mudryk’s absence to illness. FA rules state that a player notified of a positive test result can be provisionally suspended. They then have the opportunity to respond with an explanation before a decision is made on any charges. Positive test results could lead to a four-year ban and Chelsea are believed to have launched their own investigation.