Mykhailo Mudryk’s long-awaited return to football came on Tuesday as Chelsea winger came on as a late substitute in their friendly against Juventus.
Mudryk’s brief cameo – a 10-minute appearance – came after his doping ban came to an end this week after a resolution was reached with the Football Association.
The £89million signing had not played since November 2024, when he started and scored away at Heidenheim in the Conference League, after he had been suspended from football after failing a doping test for the banned substance meldonium.
Daily Mail Sport revealed this week that Chelsea have already been approached by clubs to ask about their plans for Mudryk this season.
Whatever outcome is reached, there is an understanding patience will be required with Mudryk having been out of the game for 20 months.
Here, Daily Mail Sport takes a look at previous examples of how other players have got on after returning to the game from long bans from football.
Mykhailo Mudryk made his return to football this week after his 20-month doping ban ended
Clubs are interested in a move for the Chelsea winger with an acceptance he will need time to return to his best after 20 months out of the game
Rio Ferdinand – Eight-month ban
The task facing Mudryk is outlined by Ferdinand’s comments after returning from his doping ban in September 2004.
‘Physically and mentally is was all new again, eight months out is a long time,’ Ferdinand said after making his return.
Ferdinand had been hit with an eight-month ban from football and a £50,000 fine back in 2003. He had been sanctioned after failing to provide a drugs sample following a training session on September 23 that year.
His ban officially began in January 2004, starting days after he had been forced off injured during Man United’s 1-0 defeat by Wolves.
Ferdinand, who failed in an appeal against his ban in March, was forced to watch from the sidelines as Man United suffered a dip in form in his absence and ultimately missed out on retaining their Premier League title. The ban also forced him to miss Euro 2004.
He ultimately made his return in September, with Sir Alex Ferguson throwing Ferdinand straight into the starting line-up as Man United hosted rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Ferdinand required an energy bar to help him through the match, having not been able to play in friendlies to get him back up to speed.
Rio Ferdinand returned from an eight-month ban in September 2004 for Manchester United
Ferdinand played the full 90 minutes on his return as Man United earned a 2-1 win over Liverpool
Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Ferdinand’s performance as ‘superb’ in their victory
Ferguson hailed his performance as ‘superb’ and highlighted how Ferdinand’s composure had helped his side, as Man United earned a 2-1 win courtesy of two Mikel Silvestre goals.
‘The fans were fantastic as soon as I came out for the warm-up and even after they were brilliant,’ Ferdinand told Sky Sports post-match.
‘It is just nice to get out there and play, you forget about everything that has gone on beforehand but once you get out there and start warming up and game starts, it is all about football.
‘It was never going to be easy, I was under no illusions that I was going to have an easy game. It was nervous energy, I needed some sugar intake and the physio brought around a little bar to chew on. It was obvious needed, eight months is a long time.
‘I am not looking back, I am looking forward and continue playing football now and do what I love doing.’
Having made a stuttering start to the season by winning of their opening five matches, Man United’s form picked up after Ferdinand’s return to action with the defender also immediately earning a recall to the England squad.
Ferdinand was close to being an ever-present for Man United after his return to action, missing just two league matches in the remainder of the campaign.
Eric Cantona – Eight-month ban
One of the most famous bans in football history was handed to Cantona after he kung-fu kicked a Crystal Palace supporter in January 1995.
The Frenchman had launched himself into the crowd having reacted to goading from one supporter, following his red card in the match.
Man United initially suspended Cantona until the end of the season, but the Football Association ultimately extended his ban for eight months.
Cantona returned in stunning fashion on October 1 as Man United faced Liverpool, with home fans at Old Trafford turning up to the clash with French flags adorning his face to mark his comeback.
Eric Cantona was famously banned for eight months after kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace fan
Cantona scored and assisted in his return as Man United drew 2-2 with Liverpool in 1995
The Man United talisman made an instant impact by setting up Nicky Butt for the opening goal. With Man United having then fallen behind, Cantona then scored from the penalty spot to secure a 2-2 draw.
‘It’s Eric’s stage, Eric’s the lead actor and Eric delivers the best lines,’ Man United forward Brian McClair reflected to Sky Sports.
‘It was as if he’d never been away,’ added Steve Bruce. ‘It was quite incredible that somebody who had been away for so long could come back and have the impact he did straight away, and it lifted everybody.’
Cantona proved the inspiration for Man United to complete a league and FA Cup double. The Frenchman top scored with 19 goals in all competitions including netting against Liverpool in the FA Cup final, a match where he captained the Red Devils.
He was named as the Football Writers Association’s Player of the Season.
Adrian Mutu – Seven-month ban
Mutu was part of the Roman Abramovich led revolution at Chelsea in 2003, with the Romanian among ten players the Blues splashed out on that summer.
The £15.8million signing scored ten goals in 36 matches during his debut season at the club after joining from Parma.
Mutu would ultimately fall out with his new manager Jose Mourinho at the start of the following season amid concerns over his lifestyle. Mutu then tested positive for cocaine use in September 2004 and was handed a seven-month ban from football.
Chelsea sacked the forward as a result with the Blues chasing £15.2million in compensation.
‘Taking cocaine during my time at Chelsea was the worst decision I could have made in my career,’ Mutu reflected in an interview last year.
‘I was alone and sad, but neither depression nor anything else justified my actions. Zero tolerance – that was Chelsea’s policy regarding drugs. And I think that’s fair.
Adrian Mutu had been one of Chelsea’s high-profile signings of the early Roman Abramovich era
Mutu was sacked by Chelsea after a positive test for cocaine, and the club then demanded he paid £15.2m in compensation
The Romanian forward spent a season at Juventus, before rebuilding his career at Fiorentina
‘I made a mistake, strayed from the path, and paid the price for it. I was caught off guard. I wasn’t used to that life. I was unprepared.
‘I arrived at Chelsea during a turbulent time in my personal life, and I found myself caught up in too many excuses and lies. I was too young and too alone.
‘I’ve reflected on that many times. I believe that for more than a season, I was amongst the best players in the world, so I could have won it easily. But bad decisions prevented me from doing so. I try not to beat myself up about it.’
Mutu was handed an almost immediate chance to return to the game with Juventus signing him in January 2005, despite his suspension running until May.
He scored seven goals in 32 league matches the following season as the Old Lady won Serie A – before later being stripped of their title.
Mutu moved on to Fiorentina in the summer of 2006 and spent five seasons at the club, scoring 54 goals in 112 league appearances. This led to Mutu being inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2024.
The forward had served a nine-month ban in 2010 after a failed doping test.
Paul Pogba – 18-month ban
Pogba’s case represents an interesting comparison to Mudryk’s owing to the similar length of time out of the game.
The French midfielder, like Mudryk, was initially facing a four-year ban from football with Pogba having tested positive for the prohibited substance DHEA in September 2023, when he was playing for Juventus.
His suspension was later reduced to 18 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Pogba told Daily Mail Sport in 2024 that he discovered news of his reduced ban while preparing for a film premiere, adding: ‘We went through hell. A time of darkness. But this is my second chance, I have to use it.’
The former Man United star was emotional when he signed for Monaco last summer, describing his comeback as a second chance.
The World Cup winner, however, had already endured a series of injuries during his second spell at Juventus and Pogba’s time on the sidelines during his ban also left him playing catch up.
Monaco had given Pogba his own fitness plan and planned to gradually introduce him into the team following his long absence.
Paul Pogba signed for Monaco last summer and viewed the move as a second chance after his 18 month doping ban ended
Pogba, however, spent much of the season on the sidelines amid a series of fitness issues
The 33-year-old managed just 115 minutes last season with Monaco considering his future
The 33-year-old ultimately played just 115 minutes for the Ligue 1 side last season as he struggled for fitness and form, with Monaco considering whether to part ways with him this summer.
Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro said last month: ‘It is a complicated topic because we have a lot of respect for Paul, for the person he is. Since he arrived, he has been very positive.
‘It is also true that, last year, the project didn’t work well because when we started with him in the summer, the expectations were very different to what happened. I think that we have to be fair with him, follow his preparation every week, how he will progress physically and technically and then it will be the manager’s decision.
‘We have the summer to see what level we will see from Pogba. He could [leave at the end of the summer]. With Paul, it has always been a very open and transparent relationship.
‘If, at some point, the expectations of the player are different to the expectations of the club, we will have to speak to find a solution. The performance will give all the answers that we need. Maybe he will stay, maybe he will leave.’
Diego Maradona – 15-month ban
The legendary Argentine was banned from football for 15 months back in 1991 after testing positive for cocaine.
The sanction effectively ended his historic spell at Napoli, who he had inspired to win two league titles, the Copa Italia and UEFA Cup.
Maradona looked to rebuild his career at Sevilla after his ban came to an end, as he joined forces with Carlos Bilardo, who had been Argentine’s coach for their 1986 World Cup triumph.
His arrival proved lucrative for Sevilla with the club holding marquee friendlies during pre-season, with the club said to have enjoyed a £2.5million uptick in revenues during his sole year at the club.
Diego Maradona spent a season at Sevilla after serving a 15-month suspension from football
Maradona was initially seen as having a positive impact at the club, despite being overweight after the prolonged spell out of the game. Maradona, who was given the captain’s armband after signing, helped the club into the top three of the LaLiga table early on.
The 32-year-old also produced an inspired performance in a 2-0 victory over Real Madrid.
His off-the-field problems, however, derailed Maradona during the second half of the season, leading to Sevilla hiring a detective to track him.
A falling out with Bilardo also contributed to Maradona spending just a single season at Sevilla, who finished seventh in the league, before he returned to Argentina.
