Major League Soccer said Wednesday that it still had not come to a decision on a suspension for Colorado Rapids midfielder Brian Mullan, who last Friday broke the leg of Seattle forward Steve Zakuani during a game.
The league said Wednesday evening that no disciplinary action will be issued until at least Thursday.
Mullan on Wednesday issued an apology for the hard tackle that fractured Zakuani’s right tibia and fibula, likely ending the season of the Sounders’ leading scorer.
In a statement, Mullan said he regrets that Zakuani was injured by the tackle and is “deeply sorry to Steve and all those impacted by his injury.”
Mullan was given a red card in the third minute after a mistimed tackled that caught Zakuani’s leg underneath him. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and had surgery at Rose Medical Center in Denver. Zakuani returned to Seattle Tuesday night.
Because of the red card ejection, Mullan was automatically suspended for Colorado’s game Saturday against the Chicago Fire in Commerce City.
The previous longest discipline for an MLS player came in 2007, when Houston’s Ricardo Clark was suspended nine games and fined $10,000 after he kicked FC Dallas’ Carlos Ruiz while Ruiz was on the ground.
