Mykhailo Mudryk Set for Spurs Debut After Doping Saga
Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi says Mykhailo Mudryk is finally ready to pull on a Spurs shirt, with the winger in line for his debut this Saturday after nearly two years in limbo.
The 25-year-old has not played competitive club football since November 2024, but De Zerbi is prepared to use him from the bench as Tottenham try to jolt their season into life.
“I don’t know how much time he needs to be available to start the game,” De Zerbi admitted in his pre‑match press conference. “One part of the game, I think he’s ready right now to play 20, 15, 30 minutes.”
A long road back
Mudryk’s return caps a turbulent spell that threatened to derail a career once tipped for the very top. His world flipped in late 2024 when he received a provisional suspension after tests detected a low concentration of meldonium, a banned heart medication that can aid recovery and endurance.
The fallout was brutal. The Ukrainian missed almost two years of action, shut out of the rhythm and intensity of elite football while the case rumbled on. He trained alone, away from team structures, relying on individual work just to keep himself in shape, with no tactical drills and no competitive edge.
The saga finally ended in July, when WADA reached an agreement with the English FA. Under current regulations, the meldonium levels recorded in 2024 would not be treated as a positive test. Mudryk was cleared to return immediately.
Fresh start under a familiar face
In the meantime, he had drifted. Mudryk spent pre-season involved with Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea squad, but his competitive drought overshadowed any progress. The weight of his huge fee at Stamford Bridge never lifted, and his time there became a story of expectation without end product.
Tottenham offers something different: a reset, and a reunion.
De Zerbi knows him as few others in football do. The Italian oversaw Mudryk’s breakout at Shakhtar Donetsk, nurturing the raw pace and directness that once sparked Ballon d’Or predictions. Their bond was forged in the most testing of circumstances, during the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine, and De Zerbi made clear that emotional connection still matters.
“The last problem, the suspension, but by the end the potential was clear, is clear, and now his challenge is to respect all his qualities, because he’s a great player,” De Zerbi said, underlining that the talent never disappeared, only the stage on which to show it.
No special treatment
For all the history, De Zerbi is determined not to turn this into a sentimental project. Inside the dressing room, Mudryk must fight like everyone else.
“Now I think he’s a normal player like (Micky) Van de Ven, like another player. If he deserves it, he will play or not,” the Spurs head coach insisted.
The message is blunt. The past — the price tag at Chelsea, the suspension, the noise — stays outside. Inside, he is just another player trying to win minutes.
Still, De Zerbi knows the stakes. Tottenham need a spark, a runner who can stretch games and terrify full-backs. Mudryk needs a season that finally matches the hype that once surrounded him.
“He has to feel this season, to live this season in the right way, not too much pressure,” De Zerbi added. “It is the right moment for him to show all people things because if Chelsea paid 100m four years ago – they bought a lot of big, big players, no? – they thought very well about the qualities of Mudryk.”
Now comes the real test. After two lost years, a cleared name and a change of shirt, can that version of Mudryk finally reappear in north London?
