A TEAM of sports scientists will interview everyone from West Ham manager Alan Curbishley to the chef in a bid to get to the bottom of the club's injury problems - according to the woman leading a week-long investigation into the crisis.

A group of four specialists from Roehampton University's Sports Performance Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC) - director physiologist Jackie Dabinett, a sports psychologist, dietician and biomechanic - will spend next week at the Chadwell Heath training ground and Upton Park.

SPARC were invited in by the club to try and end an injury crisis that has seen players miss nearly 400 matches betwen them this season.

The quartet will carry out a thorough investigation, looking at everything from the players' diets to playing surfaces to the way injured players are rehabilitated.

They will also interview boss Curbishley, assistant Mervyn Day, physiotherapist George Cooper and his team, a selection of fit and injured players as well as the club's groundsmen, chef, sports science and Pro Zone staff.

The Hammers will then be handed a full written report recommending the steps the club should take to put an end to their injury woes.

"The club has had a major injury problem this season," Dabinett, who spent 10 years working at the Football Association Human Performance Centre at Lilleshall, told the Echo.

"They are well clear at the top of of the league table and they approached us and asked us to do a review of all their practices in order to find out whether there is a specific cause for their players getting injured.

"Four members of staff will spend next week at the club reviewing all their processes from rehabilitation to playing surfaces to training surfaces.

"We will be doing a complete review, observing and interviewing before giving them verbal feedback and observations during the week. We will then produce a full written report which will be delivered to the club late this summer."

Dabinett said her staff would be looking at everything from how often West Ham hold fitness tests and screen their players for injuries to the type of boots they wear.

Curbishley could welcome back four players from injury for this Saturday's Premier League visit of relegated Derby County.

Captain Lucas Neill (ankle), midfielders Mark Noble and Freddie Ljungberg (leg) and France international winger Julien Faubert (calf) are all back in training.

Anton Ferdinand, who was injured at Bolton on Saturday, will not be available.