Ashton return to training delayed

West Ham striker Dean Ashton has suffered a setback in his return from a broken ankle and is still waiting for the green light to resume full training.

Ashton has been out since the start of the season when he was injured on England duty, and boss Alan Curbishley has previously stated it would take him five weeks to return to action after he makes it back to training with the

first-team squad.

The 23-year-old was sent to see Alan Watson, a specialist at the BiMAL Medical and Sports Rehabilitation Clinic in Chiswick, and the former Norwich player needed an injection to try to solve a complication in his recovery.

"He also discovered an area of scar tissue which was impinging on the front of Dean's ankle, causing him discomfort when running at a certain pace," said head physiotherapist Steve Allen on his club's official website, whufc.com.

"This has subsequently been injected under an ultra-sound scan, and Dean is now to rest for four days before being re-assessed at BiMAL, when he hope he will be given the all-clear to resume his fitness work and push on to full

training."

Ashton's last game for West Ham was last year's FA Cup final when he scored in the dramatic defeat against Liverpool, and his absence has played its part in a crisis at Upton Park since their appearance in Cardiff.

They are currently in the bottom three in the Barclays Premiership and have only won once in the league since Curbishley took the reins.

Before his dismissal, boss Alan Pardew had earmarked Ashton for a return in January - but Curbishley has since put the date back to at least February, reasoning Ashton would effectively need another pre-season.

Ashton's return to first-team action now looks likely to be delayed until March unless he is rushed back following his latest setback.