Conference League final: Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca surprised to hear Mykhailo Mudryk at final

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca seemed as surprised as anyone when he was told Mykhailo Mudryk had been spotted in Poland ahead of the club’s Conference League final against Real Betis.

Mudryk, who became one of Chelsea’s biggest signings when he arrived in a €100 million (£83m) in 2023, hasn’t played since it emerged in December that he was facing a doping investigation.

Until now, the Ukraine winger has kept a low profile but photos and videos on social media appeared to show him posing with fans Tuesday while wearing a jacket with the Chelsea badge.

https://twitter.com/Mohxmmad/status/1927344674215182611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

“To be honest, I just, I don’t know. He’s here, or he’s coming?” Maresca said, glancing around in surprise when asked at his pre-game news conference what he thought of Mudryk being in Wroclaw ahead of Wednesday’s game.

“He’s here? I’m happy for Misha [Mudryk] to be here. I don’t know, just happy for Misha to be here.”

Mudryk hasn’t posted on social media since a statement about the case in December when he acknowledged an unnamed “banned substance” had been found in a sample he had given.

“I know that I have not done anything wrong and remain hopeful that I will be back on the pitch soon,” he posted at the time.

Neither Chelsea nor the English Football Association have provided any updates on the progress of the case since then.

Mudryk could be awarded a medal from the Conference League final because he played in Chelsea’s first four games of the league phase, scoring three goals. He scored in his most recent game, a 2-0 Conference League win over German club Heidenheim on Nov. 28.

Mudryk signed an eight-and-a-half-year contract when he signed for Chelsea in Jan. 2023, keeping him at the club until 2031.