Mudryk makes Chelsea comeback in 1-0 defeat to Juventus

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk made his long-awaited return for the Blues on Wednesday, coming off the bench in a 1-0 pre-season defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong.

The Ukraine international featured for the first time in 20 months after replacing a teammate in the 82nd minute at the Kai Tak Stadium.

His appearance came just five days after his suspension for testing positive for the banned substance meldonium came to an end.

Mudryk, 25, received a warm welcome from the 43,000 fans inside the stadium as he stepped onto the pitch.

Despite his limited time on the field, the winger looked lively, nearly reaching an overhit through pass from Estevao Willian and applying pressure to Juventus defenders while playing on the left flank.

He also delivered a late left-footed cross, marking his return to competitive action 615 days after his last appearance, when he scored in Chelsea’s Conference League victory over Heidenheim in November 2024.

The forward, who joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, was welcomed by supporters, with fans wearing shirts bearing his name and number while messages celebrating his return appeared on the stadium screens.

Mudryk’s comeback followed his involvement in an open training session and another session held behind closed doors, which convinced new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso that he was ready to feature.

However, Chelsea suffered their second consecutive defeat under Alonso after Edon Zhegrova’s superb curling strike in the 68th minute secured victory for Juventus.

The Blues created several opportunities but failed to find the net, with Danny Welbeck, Jamie Gittens and Italian full-back Marco Palestra among those unable to convert their chances.

Nicolas Jackson also returned to action following his loan spell at Bayern Munich, making his first Chelsea appearance in more than a year before he was replaced by Mudryk after a 37-minute cameo.

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