ROBERT Green believes it is "inevitable" that West Ham will hold a summer clearout.

The Hammers have been stretched to the limit this season, with a host of first team regulars including Kieron Dyer, Scott Parker, Julien Faubert and Craig Bellamy being ruled out by long-term injuries.

The problems have enabled fringe players such as Carlton Cole and Hayden Mullins to stake their claim, while youngsters Freddie Sears, James Tomkins and Jack Collison have all been handed first-term starts by manager Alan Curbishley.

The club's new chairman, Icelandic banker Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, is also reportedly keen to see the club's wage bill cut during the close-season.

And England goalkeeper Green, who is expected to stay at Upton Park, claimed the Irons' squad was simply too big to be practical next term.

"There's been a change of chairman for a start. You'd have to ask him, he may have a different idea about things," observed Green.

"You look at the squad and its huge. Then you look at whose playing and we've as many fit players as we have injured players.

"We've got six international centre halves out injured so its a good job we've got Tomka waiting in the wings and being as good as he is.

"It's incredible and you've never seen anything like it."

Green compared West Ham's situation to that of Portsmouth, who have sailed through the season almost completely injury-free, sit in the Premier League's top-six and have reached the FA Cup Final.

"You look at something like Portsmouth's squad - its a lot smaller but they've go players who have played week in week out," he added.

"They've done tremendously well whereas we've got a huge squad but there's probably a whole host of players who've made ten starts.

"It shows what kind of situation it has been.

"So with regards to cut the squad down, I think it's inevitable really."

However, the former Norwich City man cast doubt over the size of any clearout, claiming the club still needed to be ready should it be struck by another injury crisis.

"But you look at it and say Where can we cut it down?'," he asked.

"You look at the players out injured and the players who you'd maybe look to cut on - being able to cut down on it is another matter."