Mudryk Injures Ankle, Spurs Face New Setback

Tottenham’s season-long gamble on Mykhailo Mudryk has hit an early snag, with the winger injuring his ankle in training just days after his debut for the club.

British media reported the Ukraine international suffered the setback this week, leaving manager Roberto De Zerbi frustrated and already bracing for a spell without one of his key attacking options. Mudryk is expected to be out until after the upcoming international break.

“It was a stupid injury and we hope he can come back as soon as possible. For him and for us,” De Zerbi told reporters on Friday, his irritation clear. “For him because he suffered too much and for us because we lost an important player.”

Mudryk arrived at Spurs on deadline day, crossing the London divide from Chelsea on a season-long loan in search of a reset. He was eased in at the weekend, coming off the bench and impressing in a 15-minute cameo during the goalless draw at Nottingham Forest.

Then training struck him down.

For De Zerbi, the setback cuts deeper than a routine fitness issue. He knows Mudryk well. The pair worked together at Shakhtar Donetsk, where the winger’s explosive pace and direct running first drew Europe’s attention and eventually earned him a big-money move to Chelsea in January 2023.

That move never truly caught fire. Mudryk struggled to nail down a consistent role at Stamford Bridge, his flashes of brilliance buried beneath managerial churn and fierce competition for places. His career then stalled completely in 2024 after an adverse analytical finding for meldonium in an anti-doping test.

The Football Association initially imposed a four-year ban. Mudryk appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and his suspension was later reduced following an agreement between the FA and the World Anti-Doping Agency, clearing a path back to elite football and, ultimately, this loan to Spurs.

De Zerbi has been trying to rebuild both the player’s rhythm and confidence.

“He played 15 minutes in Nottingham, he played well,” the Italian said. “But it’s in the normal process when one player doesn’t play for a long time.”

Normal process or not, the timing is cruel. Spurs, already short on momentum, can ill afford to lose a forward with Mudryk’s profile. The 25-year-old made 73 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 10 goals and providing 11 assists, numbers that hint at the end product Tottenham desperately need right now.

The table underlines that desperation. Spurs have taken just one point from their opening three Premier League matches and sit 17th, hovering uncomfortably close to early-season trouble.

They host Everton later on Saturday, a fixture that already feels weighty. De Zerbi must now find solutions without a player he clearly views as central to his attacking rebuild, while Mudryk faces yet another unwanted pause in a career that has already endured more turbulence than most at his age.

How many more setbacks can he absorb before this loan, and perhaps his Premier League story, finally clicks into place?