Frustrated West Ham manager Alan Curbishley claims the injury problems that have ravaged the club this season are now threatening to undermine his summer recruitment campaign.
With the Hammers safe in mid-table in the Barclays Premier League and with little to play for - other than finishing above fierce local rivals Tottenham - Curbishley's mind is very much on planning for the close season.
Last weekend, he travelled to Brescia for a meeting with West Ham's new technical director Gianluca Nani, who will take up his post in June.
But discussions over potential summer signings have been complicated by the ongoing injury crisis at Upton Park, which has seen the club without big-money players like Kieron Dyer, Craig Bellamy and Julien Faubert for most of this term.
There is still no confirmed return date for any of them, while Lee Bowyer and Matthew Etherington are both likely to be out for the remainder of the season along with defenders Danny Gabbidon and James Collins.
Curbishley said: "There are five or six players out who don't yet have a return date and are in limbo. We are trying to assess what we have got and where we need to go if we need to do some strengthening.
"The injury list is incredible and, as a club, we need some of these to start clearing up so we know where we are.
"It affects everything we are going to do. The injuries we have had are unprecedented. I am not too sure at this moment where we are at."
Curbishley watched three matches in Italy over the weekend, including Brescia's goalless draw with Bari, and took the chance to cast his eye over potential new recruits.
West Ham have been linked with Brescia right-back Marco Zambelli.
Curbishley said: "I went out there because we need to have dialogue.
"The opportunity arose so I saw three games in all in the time I was out there. I got to see players who could be on our shopping list.
"I was looking at a couple of games, but the main purpose was to have some dialogue. We discussed a lot of things."
In the immediate term, Curbishley wants to bring FA Cup finalists Portsmouth crashing back down to earth.
Pompey beat West Brom at Wembley on Saturday to claim their first appearance in the final since 1939.
But they are back in Premier League action at Upton Park tonight, with the Hammers chasing their first victory over Harry Redknapp's men in five attempts.
Curbishley said: "Portsmouth reaching the final is a fantastic achievement, they must be on a fantastic high.
"I am delighted for Harry. He has been around a long while and he perhaps thought that his chance had passed him by.
"But they come back down to earth tomorrow night and hopefully it will be with a bump and we will get the result.
"We have seen Manchester City drop points and we need to get a result and take advantage of that."
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