Tottenham Women have been dealt the blow of losing Chioma Ubogagu for nine months as she’s been handed with a ban due to a doping violation.
The 29-year-old is understood to have accidentally taken a banned substance, which the FA accept.
However, she is still set to sit out the next nine months as a punishment.
A Spurs statement explained, “Both the Club and Chioma fully cooperated with the FA and UKAD [UK Anti-Doping) during the disciplinary process and Chioma has been unavailable for selection since the provisional suspension was imposed in January.
“Chioma takes full responsibility for the charge and deeply regrets her actions admitting a lack of knowledge and awareness on her part.”
The player herself has also issued a statement, apologising for the incident.
She said: “I am so sorry to my teammates and staff that I can’t be out on the pitch. The Club has been fully supportive throughout this entire process, and I am so appreciative of all their help. My faith, family, and close friends have helped me immensely in this difficult time. I am eager to be back soon now that this has been resolved.
“I want to make clear that the medication had no performance-enhancing effects for me, but I still made the mistake of not being as diligent as possible, and as a result I am unable to play the game I love until I serve my suspension. While my dermatologist is aware of my profession, it is also my responsibility to know more about the medications I am prescribed.
“I plan to share my story and educate others on the severity of what can happen, and I hope I can help other athletes avoid situations like mine in the future.”