XABI ALONSO is ready to welcome Mykhailo Mudryk with open arms after the end of his doping ban.

The Chelsea winger, 25, saw his four-year ban cut short this week after the FA and the World Anti-Doping Agency resolved their disciplinary process against him following an appeal.

Mykhailo Mudryk is set to be welcomed back into the Chelsea fold Credit: AP

Xabi Alonso will begin working with Mudryk in Hong Kong Credit: Reuters

Mudryk tested positive for a of a low concentration of meldonium, a prohibited substance, in 2024 and was slapped with a four year ban which he appealed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport this year.

The £62million forward has always maintained he never intentionally took the substance and changes to testing processes mean that, had the sample been taken today he would not have been reported as failing a drugs test.

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Alonso, who had not expected to be working with Mudryk at Chelsea, confirmed the winger will join his squad for the next leg of their pre-season tour, in Hong Kong – despite the fact they have not spoken yet.

He said: “We are happy for him, especially for him, because probably we are not able to understand what he has been through in this time and how does he feel at the moment with the things that he had to cope with.

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“We want that he feels part of a team, because he has been training on his own for a long time, and that we have the support from everyone, from the club, from the team-mates, from the staff, and for sure it will take time.

“Once he is with us, we will see how things develop.

“He is coming to Hong Kong, but I haven’t spoken to him yet.”

While many at Chelsea are excited to have Mudryk back, there is yet to be any clarity on his future at the club. He has a contract which runs for another five years, to 2031, but no decision has been made regarding his place in the squad for this season so far.

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Mudryk is finally available again following a lengthy absence Credit: Alamy

Alonso added: “We need to see, it’s too early to tell, to see how he is in terms of fitness, in terms of this game time that you need to be involved again, so it’s still early to tell.

“We were not expecting to have this great news at this moment, so we are very happy. We feel that he will be working with us.”

Chelsea ended the Australian leg of their tour with a late 2-1 defeat to London rivals Tottenham, who had ten men for almost the entire second half.

The Blues were without goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who suffered a small knock.

Meanwhile, striker Joao Pedro is in talks over a new contract with the club, who are confident he will agree terms.

Pedro was a target for Barcelona at the start of the summer window, but Chelsea dubbed the Brazilian striker “untouchable” this summer and are pushing to tie him down further.

The forward only joined from Brighton last summer and the 24-year-old’s deal currently runs until 2033.

Joao Pedro is viewed as untouchable at Chelsea Credit: Getty