Major decisions on the playing squad at Stafford will be made this week as preparations begin for next season.

Rangers manager Chris Brindley has returned from his summer business trip to the USA and is back working from this morning, with the first order of business to decide who of the current staff at Marston Road he wishes to retain.

All are out-of-contract and none are likely to be offered iron-clad deals, with the non-contract option the way the club appears to be headed.

So those waiting by the phone should have their answers before the week is out, among them skipper Wayne Daniel, top scorer David McNiven and highly-rated midfielder Jake Moult.

Those already on non-contract terms, such as goalkeeper Tim Sandercombe and striker Nick Wellecomme, await news of whether they will receive any offer.

The scene may also change with the loan brigade that helped steer Rangers through their relegation fight in 2008/09, with Christian Millar now a free agent after his release from Macclesfield and Tom Thorley soon to be out-of-contract at Stoke.

And with assistant boss Darren Read arriving back from his scouting mission at Walsall’s Banks’s Stadium for the League Football Education assessment trials with another list of names, there could be plenty to choose from.

He said: “Chris is back working as of today pretty much, so it all happens from now pretty much. He will be contacting players over the coming days and, before the week is out, we should have a better idea of the sort of squad we are looking at.

“The core of the playing staff needs to be sorted as soon as possible, with the fillings added over the coming weeks to compose we will have to work with next season.

“I was encouraged by my scouting trip, I have the telephone numbers of the people we wanted – now I pass that onto the manager.”