Mykhailo Mudryk was hooked at half-time in his only Premier League start this season.
His provisional suspension due to a failed drug test does not immediately seem to be a devastating blow for Enzo Maresca's title challengers.
But news that the Ukraine international, 23, faces a possible four-year ban will continue to dampen the mood at Stamford Bridge just as fans have started to believe their club is a bona fide contender again.
Mudryk is awaiting the results of his B sample after an “adverse finding” in a routine urine test. He denies ever “knowingly” taking a banned supplement and said he was “completely shocked” by the positive test.
Should it be proven that he took a banned substance – commonly known as the blood flow drug meldonium – he could be banned until just before his 28th birthday, although a resolution with an opportunity to appeal could take months.
Maresca, who initially claimed Mudryk was absent due to illness, will speak at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon ahead of Thursday's Conference League match against Shamrock Rovers.
And he'll likely face some tough questions about what else the club knows, beyond a brief statement saying they will “now work with the relevant authorities to determine what caused the negative finding.”
Either way, this is a new low for Mudryk in a two-year stretch that started poorly and has gotten progressively worse.
He joined from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 for an exorbitant fee of £89 million, which both raised eyebrows in the sport and piled pressure on a young player whose experience amounts to a few dozen starts in Ukraine's top flight and brief flashes in the Champions League. group stage.
Arsenal were among those who showed interest at the time, but their valuation was less than half of what Chelsea ultimately paid and there was dismay at the Emirates when the final fee was announced.
Mudryk struggled to adjust to the intensity of the Premier League during his first six months in west London, at a time when his new club was in shambles.
Graham Potter, who was sacked a few weeks later, felt he wasn't physically ready, while Frank Lampard felt there was talent but a lack of understanding of what exactly he wanted.
Under Mauricio Pochettino there were more appearances, including 18 starts in the league last season, but little end product with just five goals.
And the Argentina coach inadvertently outlined how bad things were when he said he wanted to boost Mudryk's confidence by facing him in cross-bar challenges after training.
The problem was that Pochettino kept accidentally beating him.
Maresca, meanwhile, questioned Mudryk's ability to take on board tactical instructions and appeared to decide after 45 minutes away against Wolves in August that he would not be high in his pecking order.
Since then there have been six cameos in the league and four starts in Europe's third league, where he has scored at least three against low-quality opponents.
In October, Mudryk was asked how far Mudryk was from making an impact in meaningful games. “When? I don't know,” he said. “All I can say is that we try to work with Misha every day. Hopefully he can get better.”
So his absence won't be a serious blow to their hopes of a sustained title challenge.
But it could cause even more concern for the hierarchy as Mudryk is under contract until the summer of 2031.
While on the sidelines he earned almost £100,000 a week.
But if the owners' bold approach to recruitment is aimed at signing the best young talent on long-term deals that ensure that if they leave it is for a high fee, then this risk faces an £89m write-down .
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