Chelsea have been called out by Shakhtar Donetsk chief over the handling of Mykhailo Mudryk at the Premier League club.
Mudryk joined Chelsea in January 2023 in a deal worth up to £89m following a transfer battle with Arsenal. However, the Ukraine international has failed to play at the highest level and has been forced to play from the bench.
The Ukraine international has played a back-up role this season under new coach Enzo Maresca and this looks like a trend that will continue.
Mykhaylo Mudryk of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team’s third goal against Panathinaikos FC (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Long-serving Shakhtar general director Serhiy Palkin knows Mudryk well and has claimed it is Chelsea’s fault that the 23-year-old isn’t doing better.
“You don’t need a Ferrari if you don’t know how to drive it. A normal car will do. If you buy a Ferrari, you should think about how to handle it. That’s my opinion on Mudryk at Chelsea,” he told GOAL.
“I am sure that he will show his qualities when he gets the chance. He is an absolute difference maker, which can also be seen in his appearances for the Ukrainian national team. There are very few players in this category.”
Mudryk has been phenomenal anytime he’s called upon this season. He started and scored against Panathinaikos in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday evening.
However, he is likely to return to the bench when Chelsea play their domestic league game this weekend. Europe and the Carabao Cup have been his only real opportunities this season other than playing the first half only of a Premier League clash with Wolves in August.
Mudryk has played under five different manager, having arrived when Graham Potter was still in charge and it seems Maresca will get the best out of him.
