Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca expressed continued trust in winger Mykhailo Mudryk on Thursday, despite the Ukrainian star facing an anti-doping charge from the Football Association (FA).
However, Maresca confirmed the club is actively seeking to reinforce the wide attacking position.
“‘Mischa’ is a Chelsea player. As long as he is with Chelsea, I will trust all our players,” Maresca told reporters in Philadelphia ahead of Friday’s Club World Cup clash with Flamengo.
Mudryk has not featured for Chelsea since November 28, following his provisional suspension in December due to an “adverse finding in a routine urine test.” The FA’s rules could see the 23-year-old face up to a four-year ban.
Currently absent from the Chelsea squad in the United States, Mudryk has not been in contact with the coach since the UEFA Conference League final victory over Real Betis last month.
“The last time I spoke with ‘Mischa’ was in Poland, and he was doing well. Since then, we haven’t been in touch, but we will reach out in the coming days and weeks,” Maresca said.
Signed from Shakhtar Donetsk for €100 million in January 2023, Mudryk’s spell at Chelsea has been hampered by inconsistency, managing only 10 goals in 73 appearances.
Maresca also revealed Chelsea’s intention to sign a new winger ahead of the Premier League season.
“We spent almost an entire season without ‘Mischa’ last year and tried to rely on academy players like Tyrique George. We now plan to bring in a winger—it’s clear we need to improve in that position,” he added.
The Chelsea boss anticipates a challenging encounter against Flamengo in sweltering Philadelphia conditions, with heat and humidity expected to rise ahead of the 2:00 pm local kickoff.
Maresca plans to rotate his squad to cope with the weather, with players like Enzo Fernandez, Malo Gusto, and new signing Liam Delap vying for starting roles.
“Brazilian teams are more accustomed to this climate, but we’ll give our best to win,” he said.
Flamengo, led by former Chelsea player Filipe Luis, currently top Brazil’s league and have lost only once in their last 16 matches.
“They play attractive football and are packed with technical quality. We’ll need to be at our best to win,” Maresca commented.
Filipe Luis reflected fondly on his time at Chelsea, where he won the Premier League and League Cup under Jose Mourinho in 2014-15.
“I didn’t play as much as I wanted because of Azpilicueta’s form, but it was an amazing experience with great friends and memories,” he said ahead of facing his former club.
