Dundee are expected to enter administration today but players and staff will face a further 24-hour wait to find out if they are being sacked.
Bryan Jackson, of accountancy firm PKF, is poised to assume control of the Dark Blues this morning but will need another day to draw up the list of employees to be axed.
It will leave the club in the unenviable position, on the eve of a first division match away to Stirling Albion, of not knowing who will be available to play on Saturday or even who will be in charge of the team.
The names of boss Gordon Chisholm and assistant Billy Dodds are widely expected to be on the job-loss list, despite offering to take substantial wage cuts. Administrator Jackson is predicted to be ready to sack around 10 players, leaving Dundee with a skeletal squad as they head to Forthbank.
Chisholm gave his men the day off on Wednesday but will return to work this morning and insists everyone on the playing side will continue to be professional until they discover their fate.
“I will be turning up for work tomorrow ready to train the players ahead of the Stirling Albion game as normal,” he said. “Obviously we all have this hanging over us and don’t know what the future holds but all we can do is remain professional. The players have been great throughout all this and have been a credit to themselves.
“It is a difficult time for everyone but we will continue to do our jobs and work hard for the club.”
It has still not been officially confirmed that the £200,000 pledged by former benefactor Calum Melville required to meet running costs during administration has been cleared, although Dundee chief executive Harry MacLean remains confident that matter will be resolved positively.
“The money is in the process of being in,” said MacLean on Wednesday. “So we will probably start the administration process tomorrow. The paperwork has all been done for the Court of Session and is ready to go.
“When the club went into administration previously, the process started on a Friday and we went into administration on the Monday. The plans were drawn up over the weekend. So the whole thing will take a bit of time.”