Xabi Alonso has called for patience over Mykhailo Mudryk's future at Chelsea following the end of his doping suspension.
Mudryk, a 25-year-old Ukraine international, was charged with anti-doping rule violations by the Football Association in June last year after a sample taken in 2024 produced an adverse finding for the prohibited substance meldonium.
The substance can increase respiratory capacity and stamina, but Mudryk claimed the failed drug test came as a 'complete shock' as he had never knowingly used a banned substance.
Mudryk has not played for Chelsea since November 2024 and was banned from playing due to the doping suspension.
However, following the resolution of his case by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Football Association, Mudryk is now eligible to play again.
Chelsea signed Mudryk in an £89 million deal from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 and he will now link up with the club's squad in Hong Kong for the remainder of their pre-season tour.
'We are happy for him, especially for him,' Alonso said after Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in Sydney on Saturday.
'Because probably we are not able to understand what we've been through in these times, with the things he had to cope with. We want him to be a part of the team. He has the support of everyone, from the club, the teammates, the staff.'
Alonso acknowledged that it will take time for Mudryk to get back into the swing of things, saying 'it will take time, once things have changed, things will start moving.'
'For him it's a massive change, he's been training on his own every day, it must have been really, really hard because he wanted to play football, to be part of a team, and he was not allowed to do that for such a long time.'
Alonso praised Mudryk's skills, saying 'I remember watching him at Shakhtar, the impact he had, how quick he is, how good he is in one-vs-one situations, how he could create a lot of situations on his own. He's a special player.'
Alonso concluded that Mudryk will be happy to be back with the team, saying 'so we are very happy, we feel he will be happy with us.'
