The men who will decide Pompey's future return

There was no fanfare, as a little after 10am yesterday morning the Blues squad returned to work at the Wellington Sports Ground.

Ten senior players will decide whether the club will continue to exist.

Eight of them featured in a group of 20 who were put through their paces by Chris Neville, fresh from his stint away with England at the European Championships.

An unsustainable wage bill of £9.5m is dragging the club to the brink of liquidation.

The man refusing to budge on the £2m he wants to walk out the door, Tal Ben Haim, was present.

He had earlier been in Michael Appleton’s office as the Blues boss staged a host of one-on-one meetings with his senior squad members.

Appleton has made it clear to the players in no uncertain terms they have to go.

But much of the talk on the first day of term was about those men who were absent.

Both Aaron Mokoena and Kanu were nowhere to be seen as the squad went through the first of the double sessions they will undertake all this week.

Mokoena was afforded some slack for his absence, with it understood he is close to concluding a move back to South Africa with Bidvest Wits.

Kanu had no such excuses, however.

The king of 2008 was simply a no-show.