Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk made his return to football on Tuesday as a late substitute in a friendly against Juventus following a 20-month doping ban.
Mudryk made a 10-minute cameo appearance after his suspension ended this week following a resolution with the Football Association. The 89 million pound signing had not played since November 2024, when he started and scored away at Heidenheim in the Conference League, after failing a doping test for the banned substance meldonium.
Daily Mail Sport revealed this week that clubs have already approached Chelsea to ask about their plans for Mudryk this season. There is an understanding that patience will be required with Mudryk after 20 months out of the game.
Previous examples show how other players have performed after returning from lengthy suspensions in top-level football.
Rio Ferdinand return from Manchester United ban
Rio Ferdinand described the challenge of returning from an eight-month ban after making his comeback for Manchester United in September 2004. Ferdinand had been sanctioned with an eight-month ban and a 50,000 pound fine in 2003 for failing to provide a drugs sample following a training session on September 23 of that year.
His ban officially began in January 2004, days after he was forced off injured during Manchester United's 1-0 defeat by Wolves. Ferdinand failed in an appeal against his ban in March and missed Euro 2004 while watching Manchester United miss out on retaining their Premier League title.
Sir Alex Ferguson put Ferdinand straight into the starting line-up when Manchester United hosted rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford in September. Ferdinand needed an energy bar from the physio to help him through the match because he had been unable to play in friendlies to regain match fitness.
Ferguson hailed Ferdinand's performance as superb, noting that his composure helped Manchester United earn a 2-1 win courtesy of two Mikel Silvestre goals.
Speaking after the match, Ferdinand reflected on his return to Sky Sports: "Physically and mentally is was all new again, eight months out is a long time." He added: "The fans were fantastic as soon as I came out for the warm-up and even after they were brilliant. 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," Ferdinand said. "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."
After winning one of their opening five matches, Manchester United saw their form pick up after Ferdinand returned, and the defender immediately earned a recall to the England squad. Ferdinand missed just two league matches during the remainder of the campaign.
Eric Cantona comeback for Manchester United
Eric Cantona received an eight-month ban after kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace supporter in January 1995 following a red card and goading from the crowd. Manchester United initially suspended the Frenchman until the end of the season before the Football Association extended his ban.
Cantona returned on October 1 as Manchester United faced Liverpool, with home fans at Old Trafford carrying French flags featuring his face. Cantona assisted Nicky Butt for the opening goal and later scored a penalty to secure a 2-2 draw after Manchester United fell behind.
Manchester United forward Brian McClair told Sky Sports: "It's Eric's stage, Eric's the lead actor and Eric delivers the best lines." Defender Steve Bruce added: "It was as if he'd never been away. 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 went on to top-score with 19 goals in all competitions, captaining Manchester United to a victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup final to secure a league and cup double. He was named the Football Writers Association Player of the Season.
Adrian Mutu Chelsea ban and career recovery
Adrian Mutu joined Chelsea for 15.8 million pounds from Parma in 2003 as part of Roman Abramovich's ten-player summer spending spree, scoring 10 goals in 36 matches during his debut season. However, he fell out with manager Jose Mourinho the following season over lifestyle concerns and tested positive for cocaine in September 2004, receiving a seven-month ban. Chelsea sacked Mutu and pursued 15.2 million pounds in compensation.
Reflecting on the ban in an interview last year, Mutu said: "Taking cocaine during my time at Chelsea was the worst decision I could have made in my career. 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."
"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," Mutu said. "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."
Juventus signed Mutu in January 2005 while his suspension ran until May. He scored seven goals in 32 league games the next season as Juventus won Serie A before being stripped of the title. Mutu moved to Fiorentina in summer 2006, scoring 54 goals in 112 league appearances over five seasons before his induction into the club's Hall of Fame in 2024. He also served a nine-month ban in 2010 after a failed doping test.
Paul Pogba return with Monaco after suspension
Paul Pogba received an 18-month ban after testing positive for DHEA in September 2023 while playing for Juventus. He initially faced a four-year ban before appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Pogba told Daily Mail Sport in 2024 that he learned of the reduced ban while preparing for a film premiere, stating: "We went through hell. A time of darkness. But this is my second chance, I have to use it."
The former Manchester United midfielder signed for Monaco last summer as a free agent, but fitness problems limited the 33-year-old World Cup winner to 115 minutes of play last season. Monaco had given Pogba a custom fitness plan to introduce him gradually after his time out.
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."
Scuro added: "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 spell at Sevilla following ban
Diego Maradona returned from a 15-month cocaine ban in 1992, ending his historic spell at Napoli where he won two league titles, the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup. The 32-year-old joined Sevilla, reuniting with Carlos Bilardo, his coach during Argentina's 1986 World Cup victory.
Maradona's arrival generated 2.5 million pounds in additional revenue for Sevilla through marquee pre-season friendlies. Made team captain, Maradona initially helped Sevilla reach the top three of LaLiga, including an inspiring display in a 2-0 win against Real Madrid, despite being overweight after his suspension.
However, off-field problems and a breakdown in his relationship with Bilardo disrupted the second half of the campaign, leading Sevilla to hire a private detective to track him. Sevilla finished seventh in the league, and Maradona left after one season to return to Argentina.
