Athletic Bilbao player Yeray Álvarez suspended for taking banned substance in hair loss treatment

MADRID (AP) — Athletic Bilbao player Yeray Álvarez says he has been provisionally suspended after falling a banned substance test due to taking a medicine to prevent hair loss caused by cancer treatment.

The Spanish defender said in a social media post Thursday that he had been informed “some weeks ago” that he had failed a drug test after Athletic lost to Manchester United in the Europa League semifinals in May.

Álvarez, now 30, had to step away from soccer in 2017 for several months to treat testicular cancer.

He says that following his return to playing he has since been taking medication to fight alopecia and that the cause of his positive result on the doping test was because he “involuntarily took a medicine to prevent hair loss that contained a banned substance.”

“The news (of my ban) has been a hard blow and one I couldn’t believe given that I have never in my life consumed banned substances,” he said.

He said that his case is still in the initial phase and that his suspension is provisional.

Athletic said it “lamented Yeray’s human error and will give him all its support.”

Athletic will play in the Champions League next season.

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