Denis Cheryshev Reportedly Investigated by Anti-Doping Agency

A second anti-doping agency has investigated Denis Cheryshev over an injection the Villarreal winger received before this summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The Daily Telegraph's Ben Rumsby reported the issue arose when Chreyshev's father, Dimitri, gave an interview to Russian publication Sport Weekend earlier this summer, during which he was reported to have said the injection contained "growth hormone."

It's left Chreyshev, who scored four goals in five matches to help the hosts reach the quarter-final, the subject of an inquiry from an agency in Spain, having already faced questions from anti-doping investigators in Russia.

Rumsby noted that the Russian Football Union criticised the journalist who had conducted the interview, describing what was administered to Cheryshev as a "perfectly legal platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection."

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Rumsby added: "Sport Weekend stood by the "growth hormone" quote attributed to [Cheryshev's father] but said it accepted it was never intended or understood to mean actual growth hormone, stating he had also referred in the interview to "growth factor," another term for PRP therapy."

Even so, both Cheryshev and his father faced questions from Margarita Pakhnotskaya, deputy director general of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency. She filed a report with authorities in Spain and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The RFU carried out its own research but revealed it had not received "contemporaneous medical records" from Villarreal—Cheryshev's club at the time (he has since been loaned to Valencia)—whose medical team conducted the apparent procedure.

With a new investigation opening up in Spain, the country's anti-doping agency is tasked with carrying it out, according to Marca.

It means former Real Madrid flop Cheryshev, who revived his career with his spectacular showings at the World Cup, remains under the spotlight. He helped provide Russia's cutting edge on home soil in the tournament, and he opened the scoring in Friday's 2-1 away win against Turkey in UEFA Nations League Group B2:

Per Rumsby, Cheryshev could face a ban of up to four years if found guilty of using a growth hormone.