LONDON — Mykhailo Mudryk’s long-awaited return to competitive football has been hit by another setback, with the Tottenham Hotspur winger suffering an ankle injury in training only days after making his comeback following a lengthy anti-doping suspension.
The 25-year-old Ukraine international joined Tottenham from Chelsea on a season-long loan on transfer deadline day and made his Spurs debut as a substitute in the club’s 0-0 draw away to Nottingham Forest.
But his return has been abruptly interrupted.
Mudryk sustained the ankle injury in training and is expected to miss at least the period through the upcoming international break, according to reports cited by Reuters and Channel NewsAsia.
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi described the injury as unfortunate, particularly given what Mudryk had gone through during his extended absence.
“For him and for us,” De Zerbi said, expressing hope that Mudryk can return as soon as possible.
From a 20-month absence to another setback
Mudryk’s Tottenham debut was supposed to mark the beginning of a new chapter.
The Ukrainian had not appeared in competitive football since November 2024, spending roughly 20 months away from competitive action while his anti-doping case was being resolved.
His case began after an out-of-competition test in October 2024 detected a low concentration of meldonium, a prohibited substance.
The Football Association initially imposed a provisional suspension before an independent regulatory commission imposed a four-year period of ineligibility in January 2026.
Mudryk appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
However, the case was ultimately resolved in July after changes to World Anti-Doping Agency technical reporting requirements.
The FA said that if Mudryk’s sample had been collected under the newer technical requirements, the concentration detected would not have been reported and would not have resulted in an anti-doping rule violation.
As part of the resolution agreed with WADA, Mudryk accepted the anti-doping rule violations and a period of ineligibility equal to the time he had already served. He was consequently cleared to return immediately.
That distinction is important: Mudryk was not simply declared to have never committed an anti-doping violation. The FA confirmed that he accepted the violations as part of the settlement, while the suspension was reduced to time already served following the regulatory developments.
His Spurs debut lasted only 15 minutes
After finally receiving clearance to play, Mudryk made his Tottenham debut from the bench against Nottingham Forest.
He entered in the 74th minute, giving him roughly 15 minutes of competitive football in his first senior appearance since November 2024.
De Zerbi said Mudryk had performed well during that short appearance but acknowledged that the Ukrainian would naturally need time to rebuild his match fitness after such a lengthy layoff.
That makes the latest injury particularly frustrating.
Rather than gradually building his minutes and rhythm, Mudryk now faces another interruption just as his comeback was beginning.
Spurs need him at a difficult moment
The timing is particularly damaging for Tottenham.
Spurs have made a difficult start to the Premier League campaign and had collected only one point from their opening three matches, leaving them 17th in the table at the time of the Reuters report.
The club has already been dealing with injuries to several attacking players, increasing the importance of having available options on the wings.
Mudryk was brought in partly because of his pace, one-on-one ability and previous relationship with De Zerbi.
The pair previously worked together at Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, before Mudryk moved to Chelsea in January 2023.
For De Zerbi, therefore, Mudryk’s arrival represented more than simply adding another winger.
It offered the possibility of reviving a player he already knows—and potentially helping him rediscover the form that made Chelsea spend heavily to sign him.
Chelsea are still waiting to see what comes next
Mudryk remains a Chelsea player, with Tottenham taking him on loan for the season.
Before his move to Spurs, he had made 73 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 10 goals and providing 11 assists.
His Chelsea career, however, never reached the heights expected after his high-profile move from Shakhtar.
The extended absence made his future even more uncertain.
Chelsea publicly welcomed the resolution of his anti-doping case in July and said the club remained committed to helping him return to full fitness and resume his career.
The Tottenham loan appeared to offer Mudryk a chance to rebuild his career away from the pressure of Stamford Bridge.
Now, another period on the sidelines threatens to slow that process.
How long will Mudryk be out?
The immediate picture is still developing.
Reuters and Channel NewsAsia report that Mudryk is expected to be sidelined until after the international break.
Some British media reports have subsequently suggested a considerably longer absence, with estimates of six to eight weeks appearing in later coverage.
However, Tottenham have not publicly confirmed a definitive six-to-eight-week recovery period in the sources reviewed here.
For that reason, the safest wording for publication is that Mudryk is expected to miss the upcoming international period, with the precise length of his absence still subject to further assessment.
A comeback that suddenly has another chapter
Mudryk had already endured one of the most difficult stretches of his professional career.
He spent nearly two years unable to play competitive football, fought an anti-doping case, appealed his suspension and eventually reached an agreement that allowed him to return.
Then came the move to Tottenham.
Then came his first competitive appearance in 20 months.
And now, just as the comeback was beginning, an ankle injury has forced him back onto the sidelines.
For Spurs, the hope is that this is only a temporary interruption.
For Mudryk, the bigger challenge is rebuilding the momentum that took so long to recover.
After waiting nearly two years for his return, his next comeback may now have to begin all over again.
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