Mykhailo Mudryk Faces Ankle Injury Setback at Tottenham
Tottenham’s season-long gamble on Mykhailo Mudryk has hit an early snag.
The winger injured his ankle in training this week, according to British reports, handing Roberto De Zerbi a fresh headache just as he was trying to relaunch the Ukraine international’s stalled career.
De Zerbi, speaking on Friday, did not hide his frustration.
“With Mudryk, it was a stupid injury and we hope he can come back as soon as possible. For him and for us,” the Spurs manager said. “For him because he suffered too much and for us because we lost an important player.”
Mudryk only arrived at Tottenham on transfer deadline day, crossing the London divide on a season-long loan from Chelsea. He had barely started to feel his way into his new surroundings, coming off the bench for a lively 15-minute debut in last weekend’s goalless draw at Nottingham Forest.
That brief cameo now stands as his only action in a Spurs shirt for the moment. Media reports suggest he is likely to be out until after the upcoming international break.
De Zerbi knows Mudryk as well as anyone in England. The pair worked together at Shakhtar Donetsk, where the winger’s explosive pace and direct running turned him into one of Europe’s most coveted prospects before his move to Chelsea in January 2023.
The Premier League, and life at Stamford Bridge, never quite clicked. Mudryk struggled to secure a regular starting place and his momentum was shattered in 2024 by 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, opening the door for a fresh start.
Tottenham offered that reset. A new manager who believes in him. A system he already understands. A fanbase desperate for a spark.
“He played 15 minutes in Nottingham, he played well, but it's in the normal process when one player doesn't play for a long time,” De Zerbi said, framing the setback as part of a longer road back rather than another dead end.
The numbers at Chelsea underline why Spurs were willing to take the risk: 73 appearances, 10 goals, 11 assists. Flashes of quality, but never the sustained run that would justify the hype that followed him from Shakhtar.
Now, just as Tottenham looked ready to tap into that potential, he is back in the treatment room.
The timing is brutal for a side already under pressure. Spurs have taken only one point from their opening three Premier League matches and sit 17th in the table. Creativity has been in short supply, cutting edge even more so.
They host Everton later on Saturday, needing not just a result but a performance that suggests De Zerbi’s ideas are taking root. Mudryk will not be there to provide the jolt of electricity they signed him for.
Tottenham still believe he can be that player. The question is how many more bumps his comeback can absorb before this loan spell becomes another chapter of what-might-have-been.
