Mudryk Set for Spurs Debut as De Zerbi Backs Winger

Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi says Mykhailo Mudryk is finally ready to pull on a Spurs shirt, with the winger in line for his club debut on Saturday after nearly two years in the wilderness.

The 25-year-old has not played competitive football since November 2024, but De Zerbi is convinced the Ukrainian is now capable of helping a Tottenham side still trying to catch fire under their new boss.

“I don’t know how much time he needs to be available to start the game,” De Zerbi admitted at his pre-match press conference. “One part of the game, I think he’s ready right now to play 20, 15, 30 minutes.”

For Spurs, it is a significant boost. For Mudryk, it is a lifeline.

From suspension to second chance

Mudryk’s career was derailed in late 2024 when he received a provisional suspension after a low concentration of meldonium was detected in his system. The substance, a heart medication, sits firmly on the banned list because of its potential to enhance recovery and endurance.

The fallout was brutal. The winger missed almost two years of action, his trajectory abruptly halted just as he was supposed to be entering his prime.

The long-running case finally reached a conclusion in July, when WADA struck an agreement with the English FA. Under current regulations, the levels recorded back in 2024 would not be treated as a positive test. That ruling cleared Mudryk to return immediately and reopened a door that had seemed firmly shut.

In the meantime, he had been forced into football exile. No dressing room, no tactical drills, no match rhythm. Just individual sessions, training alone to keep his body ready while his career stood still.

Reunited with his ‘football father’

Mudryk has been working with Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea squad during their pre-season tour, but competitive minutes have remained out of reach. Now comes the restart, in north London, under the coach who knows him better than most.

De Zerbi guided Mudryk’s breakout at Shakhtar Donetsk and has never hidden his belief in the winger’s ceiling. That bond, forged during the early days of the conflict in Ukraine, still runs deep.

“The last problem, the suspension, but by the end the potential was clear, is clear,” De Zerbi reflected. “Now his challenge is to respect all his qualities, because he’s a great player.”

The move to Tottenham offers a clean slate after a difficult spell at Stamford Bridge, where the enormous transfer fee weighed heavily and the performances never quite matched the hype. Spurs are gambling that familiar guidance can unlock the version of Mudryk once tipped for the very top.

De Zerbi wants that story to be written without suffocating expectation.

“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.”

No special treatment at Spurs

For all the emotion wrapped around Mudryk’s return, De Zerbi insists there will be no exceptions inside the Tottenham dressing room.

The winger, he says, must fight like everyone else.

“Now I think he’s a normal player like (Micky) Van de Ven, like another player,” De Zerbi stressed. “If he deserves it, he will play or not.”

That is the challenge laid down. After suspension, scrutiny and stalled promise, Mudryk’s next step is simple and ruthless: prove he deserves those 20, 15 or 30 minutes – and then demand more.