West Ham have enlisted the help of one of the UK's top sports science centres in an attempt to put an end to an injury crisis that has caused players to miss a staggering 386 games this season.

The Irons' attempts to launch an assault on the Premier League's top six have been scuppered by long-term absences of a host of influential players including striker Craig Bellamy, forwards Kieron Dyer and Julien Faubert and midfielder Scott Parker.

Dyer has been ruled out of all but three of the league and cup matches the Hammers have contested this term, while Faubert has missed 34 games, Faubert 31 and Parker 24.

Only four regular first team squad members have remained injury-free this season - Robert Green, George McCartney, John Pantsil and Jonathan Spector.

To combat the problems, the Hammers have enlisted the help of Roehampton University's Sports Performance Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC).

Specialists at SPARC, known as one of the country's best sports injury specialists, will investigate why West Ham's players are injured so frequently, why they are suffering certain types of injures and why their rehabilitation periods are longer than normal.

University spokeswoman Christine Cain confirmed: "SPARC is providing West Ham football club with advice on player support structures, including improved training methods, biomechanical screening, injury prevention rehabilitation and ongoing sports sciences advice."

SPARC Sport and Wellbeing Director Ian Pickup added: "Our state-of-the-art sport sciences laboratory has been praised for its professional staff and cutting-edge equipment, following re-accreditation from the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES),"

According to the centre's website, the Hammers' players could undergo a "tailored musculoskeletal screening assessment" during which the flexibility, strength and symmetry of their bodies will be tested.

The results of those tests will then be used to identify what steps individual players can take to prevent them suffering certain and re-curring injuries.

SPARC could also consult with the club over issues as wide-ranging as physiotheraphy, podiatry (treatment to foot, leg and hip injuries), sports nutrition and psychology.

A West Ham spokesman added: "That side of the club is already being looked at and we have to make sure it doesn't happen again."