Chelsea has officially stripped Mykhailo Mudryk of the club’s iconic No. 10 shirt following his suspension from football after testing positive for a banned substance.
The Ukrainian winger, who joined the Blues for £89 million from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, has not featured for the club since November, after he tested positive for meldonium, a prohibited substance under WADA regulations.
In a statement released Thursday morning, Chelsea confirmed that Cole Palmer—the club’s breakout star of the 2024/25 season—will take over the No. 10 jersey, without mentioning Mudryk at all.
“Chelsea can confirm Cole Palmer will move to the No.10 shirt ahead of our 2025/26 campaign, starting from the FIFA Club World Cup,” the club stated.
“Palmer, who has worn the No.20 shirt since signing from Manchester City in September 2023, will make the switch ahead of our participation in the US-based tournament and could wear 10 for the first time when the Blues face Los Angeles FC in Atlanta on June 16.”
Chelsea also reminded fans that squad numbers for the 2025/26 season remain subject to change until the close of the summer transfer window.
Mudryk is expected to be assigned a new shirt number once his suspension ends. The winger recently made headlines for travelling to Poland to support his former Shakhtar teammates in the UEFA Europa Conference League final.
The shirt number switch marks yet another setback in what has been a turbulent Chelsea career for Mudryk, whose form and fitness have been marred by inconsistency and controversy.
Palmer’s promotion to the No. 10 shirt is a clear vote of confidence from Chelsea’s hierarchy, as the 22-year-old forward continues to solidify his role as a central figure in the club’s future.
