Chelsea star Mykhailo Mudryk working on shock career change to compete at 2028 Olympics after doping ban: Reports

Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk is working towards taking up a new sport professionally following his doping ban, as per reports. The Ukraine international has yet to play a football match since November 2024 amid investigationd on his doping case.

Marca reports that Mudryk is aiming to compete at the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 as a sprinter for his country. The 24-year-old has begun working towards this goal, as he is training with the national sprint team under the watchful eyes of some of the country's former Olympians.

Mykhailo Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal that could have reached up to €100 million, but he struggled to find his feet in England. He made 73 appearances for the club, scoring ten goals and providing eight assists between January 2023 and November 2024.

Mudryk is blessed with blistering pace on the football pitch, and he is hoping to translate this to the athletics track. The former Shakhtar Donetsk star clocked 36.67 km/hr on his debut for Chelsea against Liverpool back in 2023, showing off his pace in English football.

Mudryk has hardly been in the public eye since investigations began, with his last public appearance coming when he attended the party in Wroclaw following Chelsea's UEFA Conference League triumph. The forward has been removed from the Blues' squad since, with Cole Palmer receiving his number 10 shirt at Stamford Bridge.

Mykhailo Mudryk was found to have ingested meldonium, a substance banned in 2016, in some form, but has repeatedly pleaded his innocence. He was provisionally suspended in December 2024 but received an official charge from the English FA in June 2025. He could face a ban of up to four years if a guilty verdict is passed.

Thierry Henry lavishes praise on future Chelsea star

CBS Sports pundit Thierry Henry has praised future Chelsea forward Geovany Quenda following his performance in the UEFA Champions League. The 18-year-old featured and scored for Sporting Club as they ran out 4-1 winners over Kairat Almaty in their first game in the competition.

Henry spoke on CBS Sports, revealing his admiration for Quenda's fearless style of play. He pointed out that the youngster is a special player, having watched him closely during the summer, as well.

"This kid is special. I've seen him at the Euros U21. I mean, the way he goes about what he does, I like it. He has no fear. You will expect that from the youngster, but there's something special about him", he said via @Blue_Footy.

Quenda became the youngest Portuguese goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League history after his brilliant solo goal against the Kazakh minnows. The youngster signed for Chelsea during the 2024-25 season and will join the Blues next summer.

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen