Wise fitness in the balance

Millwall player-manager Dennis Wise has flown to Italy in a last-ditch bid to cure an injury that is threatening his FA Cup Final dream.

Wise jetted out last night to see a specialist after being told last week he had only a 50 per cent chance of playing against Manchester United on Saturday. He is set to miss the club's media day this afternoon because he will still be abroad.

Millwall have kept details of Wise's injury under wraps for the last few weeks but it is understood he is suffering from a calf or hamstring tear.

The club have consistently maintained Wise had chosen to rest himself but the player has been struggling to shake off the problem for sometime.

He opted to see a specialist in Italy when consultants in London advised him last Friday that he would almost certainly not be fit enough to play against United.

Wise is determined to make the final after losing Kevin Muscat, the team's captain, through injury following the semi-final win over Sunderland.