Mykhailo Mudryk Injures Ankle as Spurs’ Season Worsens

Tottenham’s season-long gamble on Mykhailo Mudryk has hit an early snag, with the winger injuring his ankle in training just days after his debut for the club.

British media reported the setback on Thursday, with Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi confirming the news and cutting a frustrated figure as he discussed yet another obstacle in the Ukraine international’s turbulent career.

“(With) Mudryk, it was a stupid injury and we hope he can come back as soon as possible. For him and for us,” De Zerbi told reporters on Friday. “For him because he suffered too much and for us because we lost an important player.”

Early promise, immediate setback

Mudryk, 25, arrived at Tottenham on deadline day, joining on a season-long loan from London rivals Chelsea. He had barely started to reintroduce himself to the Premier League, coming off the bench in last weekend’s 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest and catching the eye in a lively 15-minute cameo.

“He played 15 minutes in Nottingham, he played well,” De Zerbi said. “But it's in the normal process when one player doesn't play for a long time.”

That “normal process” has now been interrupted. Reports suggest Mudryk will be out until after the upcoming international break, a timeline that rules him out of Saturday’s home game against Everton and likely keeps him sidelined for the next phase of Spurs’ stuttering start.

A career constantly interrupted

For Mudryk, this is another jarring halt in a career that has rarely run in a straight line.

He first flourished under De Zerbi at Shakhtar Donetsk, where his explosive pace and direct running turned him into one of Europe’s most coveted young wide players. That form earned him a big move to Chelsea in January 2023, but he never truly settled at Stamford Bridge, struggling for consistency and rhythm in a constantly changing side.

Then came the most serious interruption of all. An adverse analytical finding for meldonium in an anti-doping test in 2024 led to the Football Association handing him a four-year ban. Mudryk appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and his suspension was later reduced after an agreement between the FA and the World Anti-Doping Agency, allowing him to resume his career earlier than first feared.

Tottenham’s loan offered a reset: a familiar coach, a fresh environment, and a fanbase ready for a new attacking spark. Instead, within days, he is back in the treatment room.

Spurs’ fragile start under strain

Tottenham can hardly afford more bad news. They have taken just one point from their opening three Premier League fixtures and sit 17th in the table, already feeling the weight of expectation and scrutiny.

Mudryk, with 73 appearances, 10 goals and 11 assists to his name for Chelsea, was brought in to jolt their attack to life, to give De Zerbi the kind of direct, high-tempo wide threat he trusts and understands. Losing him now, before he has even started a game, strips Spurs of one of the key variables in their attacking equation.

“For us because we lost an important player,” De Zerbi repeated, underlining how quickly Mudryk had been pencilled into his plans.

Tottenham host Everton later on Saturday, searching for their first league win of the season and some sense of control in a campaign already flickering at the edges. Mudryk will watch from the sidelines, again waiting for his chance.

The question now is simple: when he finally gets a clear run, how much of the old Shakhtar version of Mykhailo Mudryk will still be there?