Chelsea star reveals squad's reaction to Mykhailo Mudryk's doping suspension

Chelsea centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo has admitted the squad were caught off guard by news of Mykhailo Mudryk's failed drugs test.

The Ukraine international has not featured in a Chelsea squad since December 1, with his absence put down to 'illness', although many fans began to grow sceptical when several weeks passed without a formal update.

It was then revealed that Mudryk had failed a doping test and had been hit with a provisional suspension that prevents him from even training with Chelsea. The winger maintains his innocence and manager Enzo Maresca has also pledged to support the 23-year-old.

Quizzed on the squad's reaction to the situation, Tosin told a press conference: "It's new news to all of us. We found out the same time as you guys. We still support Misha. Hopefully things can get resolved.

"There is not much we can do in this situation, it's out of our hands. But Misha is part of our family, so we are here to support him."

Indeed, The Telegraph recently reported that Chelsea players had begun asking questions about Mudryk's ongoing absence, puzzled as to why they had not heard any updates about a teammate supposedly battling an illness.

Mudryk, who has hired the same legal team that helped Paul Pogba reduce his doping ban from four years to 18 months, has insisted he must have taken a banned substance accidentally. The substance in question, meldonium, is not available in the UK but is used in Eastern Europe, and could have been ingested during international duty with Ukraine.

"You have to take precautions," Tosin said. "All of us are now being very careful of what we are taking and the club is supporting us with that."

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