Young injury talk premature? I arrived in London yesterday after a few excellent, if freezing cold days in Reykjavik - more on this when I get some time.

Meanwhile we are now only two days from the long-awaited replay at The Riverside. 50 coaches, 2 trains and 3 aeroplanes will help carry Addicks to the game, the biggest 90 minutes since our return to the Premiership.

Rightly the fans and the clubs recent focus has been on this game but in the back of our minds is what is going to happen at the club in the summer. The current management team's continual trimming of the playing squad saw last season's fan-favourite but another one Curbs' forgotten men Talal El Karkouri, being allowed to leave the club on loan for the rest of the season. El Kak will join Al Gharafa of the cash filled Qatar's first division. This trade seems somewhat against Curbs' normal cautious manner of releasing squad players, particularly when we are short in midfield and have injuries in defence.

Announced in Saturday's programme and on the official website today was that Barry Fuller will not feature again at The Valley. The reserve captain was generally accepted to be the best youngster of his age group in the squad however he is added to the large list of released ex-academy players not to be retained.

The 21-year old has impressed on loan at Barnet and may stay there if offered a permanent deal or will hope to find a club higher up the league pyramid.

Speculation about Alan Curbishley's future was fuelled when the man himself indicated this weekend that this may be his last season at the club, England job or no England job, although he continues to use any opportunity to extol his chances. What was the score? and others have been saying that this is the plateau of Curbishley's long and successful reign and fans are split right down the middle on whether this will be a good thing or an extrordinary bad thing.

Whatever, the "I, the club and the fans will know when my time is up," moment is going to come sooner rather than later and I expect that Richard Murray has known this for some time.

If Curbs ends up at Soho Square, St James' Park or just back at his home in Essex come August, waiting for the inevitable early season job vacancies, then summer at the Valley will be rather fraught. More players are needed and so will a new management team and Charlton fans are not used to these uncertainties.

Luke Young's summer could be one of frustration as he has as much as declared himself out for the rest of the season and therefore the World Cup. However Curbs' today said that talk is premature, a strange mix of messages but all Addicks hope that the Young's manager knows best.  ¶ 10:53