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Chelsea send special message toMykhailo Mudryk despite brutal Raheem Sterling snub
Chelsea have fuelled speculation over a potential reintegration of Mykhailo Mudryk after publicly celebrating the winger’s 25th birthday on social media.
The gesture stands in stark contrast to the club’s treatment of Raheem Sterling just weeks earlier and has been interpreted by supporters as a sign that Mudryk may still have a future at Stamford Bridge under the incoming management.
A public olive branch?
On Monday morning, Chelsea’s official social media channels posted a graphic wishing Mudryk a happy 25th birthday. On the surface, such posts are routine. In context, however, the acknowledgement is anything but.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk winger has not featured for the Blues since late 2024 after receiving a provisional suspension from the Football Association following a positive test for a banned substance. Since then, Mudryk has been completely absent from matchday squads and public-facing club content.
That is why this simple birthday message has raised eyebrows. Reports suggest Mudryk’s suspension could be lifted as early as mid-January, and with Enzo Maresca now gone and Liam Rosenior poised to take charge, many fans see this as a subtle signal that the club is preparing the ground for his return.
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A tale of two birthdays
The warmth shown to Mudryk only sharpens the contrast with the treatment of Raheem Sterling.
On December 8, the England international turned 31 — yet his birthday passed without a single mention across Chelsea’s official platforms. At the time, the omission was widely viewed as deliberate rather than accidental.
Sterling had already been exiled from the first-team squad by Maresca earlier in the season and banished to train with the so-called “bomb squad”. The silence on his birthday was described by many as the final confirmation of his status as persona non grata.
That brutal snub sent a clear message: the club hierarchy had no intention of repairing the relationship and were actively seeking to move the winger on, primarily to shed his significant wages.
What it says about Chelsea’s thinking
By contrast, the decision to publicly acknowledge Mudryk suggests he remains an asset Chelsea want to protect.
Unlike Sterling, whose exile was tactical and personal, Mudryk’s absence has been enforced by regulatory circumstances rather than club choice. He is younger, carries resale value, and — crucially — fits the profile Chelsea’s ownership still believes in.
With a new head coach incoming and the slate potentially being wiped clean, the club’s messaging hints that Mudryk could yet be reintegrated rather than written off.
It may only be a birthday post — but at Chelsea, symbolism matters.
Chelsea send special message toMykhailo Mudryk despite brutal Raheem Sterling snub
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