Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Shaun Bartlett admits that five or six players are expected to leave the club during the off-season.
The Sowetan giants experienced a torrid season under the tutelage of Ernst Middendorp as they finished ninth on the Absa Premiership log and recently suffered a 1-0 Nedbank Cup final defeat against National First Division outfit TS Galaxy.
Last week, Amakhosi released a statement revealing that a major overhaul can be expected within the club’s structures.
However, despite the poor campaign Middendorp's position does not seem to be under threat as he only replaced Giovanni Solinas at the start of December last year.
"Criticism and opinions will always be given, but we’ve got to use it to our benefit as well," said Bartlett as quoted by KickOff.
"Coming in in the middle of the season is never easy, not just for a coach or technical team but for players as well.
"It takes a bit of time to adapt and analyse as to what’s happening within the club – who you can and cannot use, and how you can move forward with certain players.
"I think, for us, that’s probably what the last six months gave a clear indication of – which players we can use and who can be the core of the team going forward."
He added: "I wouldn’t say a big list, probably five, maybe six players. We’ve also got to see which players haven’t played a part over the last six months, or even the last season,” he added.
"And then we’ll see how we can move forward, but I don’t expect there to be a big list."