Mykhailo Mudryk is finally back in the spotlight. This time, in north London.
Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed the Ukrainian winger is available to make his Spurs debut on Saturday, ending a near two-year exile from competitive football.
“I don’t know how much time he needs to be available to start the game,” De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference. “One part of the game, I think he’s ready right now to play 20, 15, 30 minutes.”
For a Tottenham side still searching for ignition under their new head coach, that sounds like a jolt of electricity waiting on the bench.
From suspension to second chance
Mudryk’s career stalled brutally in late 2024. A provisional suspension followed the discovery of a low concentration of meldonium in his system, a heart medication banned because of its impact on recovery and endurance. The fallout cost him almost two full seasons of his prime.
He trained alone, away from dressing rooms, away from tactical boards, away from the rhythm that defines elite footballers. No team patterns. No match tempo. Just individual sessions and the noise in his own head.
The saga finally broke in his favour in July. WADA reached an agreement with the English FA, ruling that the levels detected in 2024 would not be reported as a positive test under current regulations. Overnight, the door swung open. He was free to play again.
Now, that freedom has a shirt, a stadium, and a manager who knows exactly what he once was – and what he might still be.
De Zerbi’s belief, without sentiment
De Zerbi has worked with Mudryk before, back at Shakhtar Donetsk, where the winger’s explosive emergence drew Ballon d’Or predictions and persuaded Chelsea to spend close to £100m to bring him to Stamford Bridge. That price tag became a burden he never shrugged off in west London.
Tottenham offers a reset. New colours, familiar face.
The Italian, though, is adamant the reunion cannot become a sentimental project.
“Now I think he’s a normal player like (Micky) Van de Ven, like another player. If he deserves it, he will play or not,” De Zerbi insisted.
No special treatment. No guaranteed minutes. Just the same demands he places on everyone else in the squad.
That stance carries extra weight given their shared history. De Zerbi spoke openly about the emotional bond forged during their time together at Shakhtar, a period overshadowed by the start of the conflict in Ukraine. Through that turbulence, he saw a raw, frightening talent.
“The last problem, the suspension, but by the end the potential was clear, is clear, and now his challenge is to respect all his qualities, because he’s a great player,” the Spurs head coach said.
A career at a crossroads
Mudryk arrives at Tottenham with his reputation in limbo. The fee Chelsea paid still hangs over him. So does the barren spell that followed. His recent involvement with Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea squad on their pre-season tour offered minutes and a platform, but not the competitive edge he has been missing for so long.
That is the concern now for De Zerbi and his staff: how to reintroduce a player who has barely tasted real match intensity since 2024, without breaking him physically or mentally.
The plan, for now, is caution. Cameo roles. Controlled exposure. Short, sharp bursts rather than full-throttle starts.
De Zerbi’s message to him is clear: embrace the season, but do not let it suffocate you.
“He has to feel this season, to live this season in the right way, not too much pressure,” the Italian said. “It is the right moment for him to show all people things because if Chelsea paid 100m four years ago – they bought a lot of big, big players, no? – they thought very well about the qualities of Mudryk.”
There is the crux. Somewhere beneath the rust, the doubt and the noise, Tottenham believe that player still exists.
On Saturday, for the first time in a long time, the game will start to answer whether they are right.
