While the 22-year-old winger has been nursing a slight knock recently, he proved exactly why he deserves a place in the starting lineup with his performance in Ukraine's comprehensive 3-1 win over Malta on Tuesday night. Mudryk scored his country's the third and final goal of the evening, moving into second place in the European Championship qualifying Group C ahead of Italy.
England confirmed their qualification for Euro 2024 with an impressive victory against Luciano Spalletti's side, leaving the door open for Ukraine to pounce. And the Chelsea star did just that, unleashing brilliant strike from range in the final moments of the game to score his first senior international goal.
Thanks to Mudryk's fantastic efforts, Ukraine will now hold down the final European Championship qualifying spot in Group C until it's up for grabs again when they lock horns with Italy next month. Not only has the Blues ace sent the reigning champions a heads-up warning, he's also shown Pochettino why he warrants a place in the starting lineup against Arsenal this weekend.
Despite showing flashes of brilliance, Mudryk struggled to impress in his debut campaign. But, following the appointment of the former Tottenham boss in the summer, he's begun to silence his critics with a handful of eye-catching displays.While large sections of the Chelsea fanbase will be desperate to see the Ukrainian start against the Gunners, Pochettino has a wealth of exciting attacking options to choose from. Raheem Sterling enjoyed a superb performance against Burnley before the international break, while Noni Madueke netted three times in two games for the England Under-21s.
Not to mention Cole Palmer, who could also feature in the Blues' front-three this weekend. Interestingly, earlier this season, Pochettino described Mudryk as 'unique' player but reminded supporters that the youngster needs time to develop.
"The life of these guys, when they are so young, [it] changed," the 51-year-old said. "You pay big money, big change from where they came. Also it's not about to arrive and to perform when you are young. It's about to adapt, it's about to help them to settle.
"Then the most difficult thing is to understand what these guys need to settle and to feel comfortable and to express their talent. If you ask me about Mischa, he's a very talented player of course, but you need to go with him very slowly.
"Cultural and everything is completely different to Latin people, from different countries or part of the world. He's now trying to be more open, to adapt and be more involved in every situation, not only on the field but outside also.
"I think he's doing a massive effort to try to integrate himself and to understand better what it means to play like a team. He's unique. I can't find a player to say he is similar, I can't remember one. It's a good challenge for him, and it's a good challenge for us."
It certainly seems as if Mudryk's hard work is finally beginning to pay off.
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