INTERVIEW

Wise's ban 'could have been longer'
By David Bond and Adrian Curtis
Friday, February 5, 1999

Dennis Wise has had a lucky escape following his fourth red card of the season.

The 32-year-old midfielder is facing a hefty fine and a four match ban for his dismissal during Chelsea's fourth round FA Cup win over Oxford at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

It will be his fourth ban of the season and takes the total number of games he has missed through suspension to 14. The Football Association are understood to be furious at Wise's shocking disciplinary record.

But according to FA rules Wise's punishment could have been a great deal worse. Referee Mike Reed sent the Chelsea star off for a second bookable offence after he adjudged Wise to have handled the ball on the line.

Yet in handling the ball Wise denied Oxford a goal scoring opportunity - one of just seven red card offences.

The laws of the game state: 'A player is sent off if he denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball.'

If referee Reed had given Wise a straight red card for the offence Wise would have faced an automatic six match ban - two more matches than his likely suspension.

A spokeswoman for the FA's disciplinary panel said Wise was expected to be suspended for four games but added: 'We can't officially comment until we receive the referee's report which we are still waiting for.'

Meanwhile, Chelsea hope to rekindle their Premiership title hopes against Southampton tomorrow with the return of Spaniard Albert Ferrer and Englishman Michael Duberry.

Both missed the game against Oxford with calf and thigh injuries respectively. Ferrer is likely to return to the side with Dan Petrescu moving to midfield.

Duberry's return to the defence will allow Marcel Desailly to link up in midfield once more while the biggest decision for player-coach Gianluca Vialli will revolve around teenage striking sensation Mikael Forssell.

His double strike in the second half of their 4-2 success over Oxford has left Vialli with a selection headache. The Finnish striker did more than enough to suggest that he is worth another start against Southampton.

The 17-year-old has revealed how he's staved off homesickness thanks to the arrival of his mother.

Ansa Forssell has been with her son ever since he chose to sign for Chelsea from Helsinki last year. That, he says, has helped him to come to terms with living so far away from his homeland at such an early age.

Forssell said: 'It was a big decision for me to move abroad and come to England. But I have not had any feelings of homesickness because I have my mother here living with me. She has been with me since the beginning of my time here at Chelsea and that has made a big difference.'