Chelsea Strip Mudryk Of No. 10 Jersey, Hand It To Palmer
Chelsea have officially removed Mykhailo Mudryk from the club’s iconic No. 10 shirt following his provisional suspension for a failed drug test.
The Ukrainian winger, signed for £89 million from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, has not featured for the Blues since November 2024 after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium.
In a notable omission, the club made no mention of Mudryk in their Thursday morning statement announcing that Cole Palmer will take over the prestigious number for the 2025/26 campaign.
The club’s statement read: “Chelsea can confirm Cole Palmer will move to the No.10 shirt ahead of our 2025/26 campaign, starting from the FIFA Club World Cup.
Palmer, who has worn the No.20 shirt since signing from Manchester City in September 2023, will make the switch ahead of our participation in the US-based tournament and could wear 10 for the first time when the Blues face Los Angeles FC in Atlanta on June 16.
Supporters are reminded that the full list of squad numbers for the 2025/26 season will be finalised once the summer transfer window has shut. They remain subject to change until that point.”
Mudryk is expected to receive a new shirt number before the start of the upcoming season. The winger, who has scored just 10 goals in 73 appearances for Chelsea, went silent on social media following the scandal, only resurfacing in April.
Shortly after his positive test was revealed and the Football Association handed him a provisional suspension in December, Mudryk issued a public statement denying any intentional wrongdoing.
Mudryk wrote on Instagram: “I can confirm I have been notified that a sample I provided to the FA contained a banned substance.
“This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules, and am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened.
“I know I have not done anything wrong and remain hopeful I will be back on the pitch soon. I cannot say more now due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will as soon as I can.”
As Chelsea begin preparations for the new season and the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, Palmer’s promotion to the No. 10 jersey symbolizes a shift in focus, while Mudryk’s future at the club remains uncertain.
