Portsmouth boss Andy Awford has stated that any decision on player contracts will be made closer to the end of the season.

Pompey have 14 players on their books whose contracts expire at the end of the season.

Talks with two of the younger members of the squad Dan Butler and Adam Webster have been ongoing since Christmas but the other 12 face an anxious wait to see where there future will be.

First team regulars Ryan Taylor, Joe Devera, Wes Fogden and Ben Chorley are among those awaiting their fate.

The remains eight whose contracts are up are not part of the current match day squad they are Nicky Shorey, Partick Agyemang, Tom Craddock, Danny East, Ben Close, Bradley Tarbuck, Jack Maloney and Paul McCallum.

Awford said to The Portsmouth News: "Dan and Adam aside, there are 12 players out of contract.

'The issue you have is if you call one of those 12 in and say look I am going to give you a new contract I will have 11 knocks on the door asking what's going on.

'We are not in a position yet to give all the answers, so I am not going to cause problems for myself.

'The players know that, they are as good as gold and will get truthful answers when we are in the position to be able to give them.

'That probably will be at the end of the season or if we are sat mid table, you can probably get some answers a little bit quicker with a couple of games to go if there is not too much to play for.

'I am hoping that's not the case, we still want to be competitive right the way to the end.

'I had the list through the other day of players who are going to be out of contract at their clubs. I thought we would be quite high, but it's every club. It's nothing new really, it's normal.

Portsmouth currently sit in 14th position in Sky Bet League Two, having accumulated 45 points from 35 league games.

It would take a colossal effort for the south coast club to reach the coveted play-offs this season, with them currently 10 points off seventh placed Plymouth Argyle.