Drugs shock for Chelsea star

London - Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu has tested positive for a banned drug, a British newspaper said on Sunday.

According to the Mail on Sunday, the 25-year-old Romanian striker, who has lost his place on the team after falling out with club coach Jose Mourinho, tested positive at Chelsea's training ground. The report did not identify the banned substance involved or say when the test was carried out.

The Football Association declined to confirm the report or whether any Premier League player had tested positive. Calls to Chelsea weren't answered.

The paper said Mutu's sample was taken by a team from UK Sport, which carries out most random tests in Britain, and it was now up to the player to decide whether to have the 'B' sample tested.

If Mutu is the player involved, he is likely to receive a ban of two years from the Football Association. It suspended Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand for eight months for failing to show up for a test even though he tested negative a day later. - Sapa-AP