COMMENT: Classless MK Dons leave sour taste for Wolves

It's Chelsea v Manchester City, a crunch Premier League title clash at the business end of the season.

The score is 0-0, there are five minutes left on the clock, and City are launching a counter attack.

Sergio Aguero has the ball, left wing, on halfway, and if he beats Gary Cahill then City will be two-on-one and through on goal.

Cahill is being outpaced, he's got no chance of catching Aguero, so he takes him out. He certainly doesn't want to hurt the Argentinian, but he wants to stop the attack at all costs, and is nowhere near the ball when he hammers his studs high into Aguero's left knee.

It's a bone-cruncher. Fans of both teams wince. The referee has seen it...but inexplicably gives only a booking.

Aguero fears the worst - he's stretchered off. Manuel Pelligrini is livid. And he's beyond apoplectic when the full extent of Aguero's injury becomes apparent - he could be out for more than a year.

Such was the unrestrained force of the challenge, Aguero has broken a bone in his knee. Extremely serious damage has been done and there are fears he'll ever be the same player again.

The above paragraphs have been fabricated. But ponder this...if it were to actually happen, do you think Gary Cahill might have the decency to apologise?

Of course he would. Even if he was so cold-blooded as to feel no remorse, the media scrutiny and pressure from the wider football world would be absolutely unbearable.

He and/or Chelsea would issue a contrite and carefully-worded statement. Cahill would probably visit Aguero to offer his apologies, or at the very least he'd contact the player.

You wouldn't be able to click on a football website or watch Sky Sports News without reading and hearing about it, and the age-old debate about whether yellow cards should be retrospectively upgraded to red would be incessantly discussed by every football expert and pundit going.

But swap Aguero, Cahill, Chelsea and Manchester City for Michal Zyro, Antony Kay, MK Dons and Wolverhampton Wanders...and it's a very different story.

And boy are Wolves furious.

It seemed sensible to wait a couple of days before writing this editorial.

After news of the horrific extent of Zyro's injury filtered through on Wednesday evening it was prudent to wait for MK Dons' reaction before giving an opinion on the way the club handled the fallout.

On Thursday Kenny Jackett, not a man known for revealing details with wild abandon to the press, or even using emotive language of any description, revealed that Kay had not yet contacted the club or Zyro to apologise. In fact he hadn't contacted them full stop.

Jackett revealed how angry he'd been at the time. And that an apology was 'on Kay's conscience'.

On Twitter captain Danny Batth said he couldn't express how angry he was. And a clearly distressed Zyro made his feelings very clear when he retweeted Wolves suppporter Christian Chew's tweet, which read: "No apology from Anthony Kay or plastic club otherwise known as MK Dons for the tackle on Michal Zyro. An absolute disgrace."

Now it comes to Friday...a full 72 hours on...surely this would be put right by MK Dons?

We were told the issue would be addressed at Karl Robinson's pre-match press conference this morning.

Well...it was addressed, but the language used was hardly that of sincere remorse...and no apology was forthcoming on behalf of the club or the player.

"I got in contact with Kenny yesterday to say we hope the boy has a speedy recovery, and I hope he comes back and fulfils the potential he certainly has."

That was as repentant as it got from Robinson.

At boardroom level there were forthright condolences from MK Dons, with Wolverhampton-born Pete Winkleman, a genuine and decent man, expressing contrition to Jez Moxey both at half time and full time on Tuesday night.

And it is believed he club have made attempts to contact the player.

But at player level? Nothing. It is known that Zyro has not been contacted by Kay.

And, it appears, that's that. Story over. No punishment bar a measly yellow card. We all move on.

Except that poor Michal Zyro can't move on. And Wolves can't move on.

They scouted Zyro for years and spent £300,000 on him on January. Jackett spoke in glowing terms at finally capturing the 23-year-old international, and of seeing him develop his many attributes and become a top player for Wolves.

Now they must do without him for 12 months. In fact there must be doubts he's even play at all next season.

With Jordan Graham also on the treatment table, it leaves Wolves short of two left wingers and, with the club up for sale, they're unlikely to spend big on a replacement in the summer, meaning they're already chasing their tail in that particular position (a 'problem' position for months after Bakary Sako's departure).

Injuries happen, as Wolves well know.

But the manner in which this whole affair has been handled by Kay, by MK Dons and to an extent by Robinson, leaves a very bitter taste.

For all we know Kay may apologise to Zyro this afternoon...but it will be 72 hours too late.

And this is by no means a 'he said, she said' diatribe against MK Dons.

Heck, Wolves have been no angels in the past. There's the Kevin Muscat/Matty Holmes incident for a start.

But would Wolves have gone 72 hours without apologising? No chance.

Karl Henry broke Bobby Zamora's leg in 2010 and showed instant remorse, apologising publicly, after showing concern for the player in the immediate seconds after the challenge. That's the way to do it.

And had he not done so, the club would have made him do it.

MK Dons appear to have shown no interest in doing the same, and it does not reflect at all well on the club.

Indeed, it shows a startling lack of class and a surprising lack of humility. They've handled the whole affair dreadfully.

And Wolves and Zyro, who are left to pick up the pieces, won't forget it.

An apology won't undo the damage. But, professional to professional, it's just common decency.