RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 3 sourcesAlonso welcomes Mudryk return
Xabi Alonso has welcomed Mykhailo Mudryk’s return to football after the Chelsea winger was cleared to resume his career following the resolution of his anti-doping case .
Speaking after Chelsea’s 2-1 pre-season defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in Sydney, Alonso confirmed the Ukraine international will join the squad in Hong Kong for the next stage of the club’s summer tour after the Football Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reached an agreement that made him eligible to play again with immediate effect.
The Chelsea head coach said the priority now was to help Mudryk reintegrate into the group after spending an extended period away from the first team.
Alonso delighted as Mudryk cleared to return
“We are happy for him, especially for him, because probably we are not able to understand what he has been through in this time and how does he feel at the moment with the things that he had to cope with,” Alonso said.
“We want that he feels part of a team, because he has been training on his own for a long time, and that we have the support from everyone, from the club, from the teammates, from the staff, and for sure it will take time.
“So once he is with us, we will see how things develop.”
Alonso’s comments came hours after the FA confirmed the disciplinary proceedings against Mudryk had been resolved, allowing the 25-year-old to return to competitive football after accepting an agreed resolution with the governing body.
Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who worked with Mudryk at Shakhtar Donetsk before the winger’s move to Chelsea, also expressed his delight at the news.
“He’s a lovely guy and a great player,” De Zerbi said.
“I hope he can show that in this coming season after all his suffering over the last two years.”
Mudryk is now expected to begin the process of rebuilding his match fitness with Chelsea as Alonso prepares his squad for the new Premier League campaign.
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