ALAN Curbishley has admitted he has no idea when up to eight West Ham players - including star striker Craig Bellamy - will be fit to return from injury.

The Wales captain has been sidelined since February 2 with an abdominal problem - an injury that has restricted the 28-year-old summer signing from Liverpool to just nine appearances this season.

Midfielders Lee Bowyer and Matty Etherington and defender Danny Gabbidon have also been laid low with similar problems.

And Curbishley admits he has no idea when the quartet - along with Freddie Ljungberg (hamstring), Julien Faubert (calf), Nigel Quashie (foot) and Kieron Dyer (broken leg) - will be fit enough to return to full training.

"People like Bellamy, Etherington and Bowyer have been missing for two months," Curbishley observed.

"Bow has had an operation and Etherington is in the throes of starting to run again and we hope that, if he gets through that, he could end up being one of the players who declares himself fit at the end of the season.

"Bellamy is in the same situation. He's doing all the rehab but until they actually start going out there and training fully, we cannot start thinking about when they can return.

"Danny Gabbidon is another one. He played against Everton in the League Cup and we haven't seen him since.

"He's got a similar injury to Bellamy and Etherington where you do the strengthening work, but the only time you're going to find out if he's fully recovered is when you go out on the training pitch.

"The problem we've got is that we won't be able to have a decision on them when the season ends.

Curbishley admitted the uncertainty over the club's never-ending injury crisis was affecting his preparations to enter the summer transfer market.

"It affects everything we're going to do," he added.

"The list is incredible and as a club, we need is some of these to start clearing up so we know where we are."

And Curbi