With the club - some £120million in debt - already destined to be playing in the Championship next season, work behind the scenes continues to put things in place to secure an exit from administration via a Company Voluntary Arrangement and therefore avoiding another points sanction, this time from the Football League, ahead of the new campaign. Manager Avram Grant wants guarantees going forwards before he will commit on staying in charge. However, administrator Andrew Andronikou has raised doubts over whether the main bidder, a consortium fronted by Cheshire-based property tycoon Rob Lloyd, are now set to table a formal bid. Indeed, Balram Chainrai - who was Pompey's fourth owner in a season of turmoil - could even remain in control, with the prospect of then being able to eventually sell the club, who will receive parachute payments from the Premier League, were they to make a swift return to the top flight. Pompey's creditors include the taxman as well as former owner Sacha Gaydamak, and obtaining a CVA requires a 75% approval, with Andronikou reported to be ready to offer a settlement between 20p and 25p in the pound. Whatever the outcome of Thursday's closed meeting, Pompey are likely to have to completely rebuild the squad for next season, whomever is at the helm, with a "shopping list" of players already sent round to other clubs. First-team coach Paul Groves reflected: "The club will get offers for good quality players who have done well this season. "But because of the finances of the club, that will dictate what will happen. "It's something we don't have any control of and it's something we will have to accept." Groves added in the Portsmouth News: "From a planning point of view, it becomes very difficult. "We don't know the size of the squad in trying to plan pre-season games or the amount of games or when. "That's something that we will have to deal with and will take care of itself. We've got enough on at the moment. "It's just working one week at a time. After that, we will see where we are." Pompey have several players fighting to be fit for the trip to Wembley. Jamie O'Hara, Hassan Yebda and Hayden Mullins are all hopeful of making a timely return, while Tal Ben Haim (groin) and Nadir Belhadj (hamstring) continue their rehabilitation. Richard Hughes has an outside chance of being available, despite limping off during the 3-1 win over Wolves with a hamstring problem. "Time does start to run out for those who are injured in terms of getting some fitness and training into them, but players can come back for a one-off situation - we saw that in the semi-final," Groves said. "We went into that match with a few players who had only done three or four days of training and it paid off on that occasion. "It would be a gamble, but that is something the manager has to work out. There is a lot to take into consideration." Midfielder Michael Brown, whose wife is due to give birth on the day of the FA Cup final, is hoping a season to forget can have a fairytale ending at Wembley. "Wimbledon winning the final in 1988 shows you that anything can happen in the cup and hopefully we can do the same by beating Chelsea. The big boys can be beaten," he told the club's official website, www.portsmouthfc.co.uk. "We know it is going to be difficult, but you have to stay confident. "It has been a bizarre season and is very disappointing that we have gone down - but we can do something extra special by winning the cup final."
