Footballers tested positive for recreational drugs out of competition 13 times over the four seasons prior to the current campaign.
But the players involved will not be named officially, Sportsmail can reveal, to preserve their privacy while they go through rehabilitation.
The figures show that Saido Berahino, the newly signed Stoke striker who served an eight-week ban earlier this season while at West Brom, is far from alone in having served a drugs suspension in secret.
The names of the previous culprits are guarded by the Football Association to maintain players’ confidentiality.