Marcus Bignot has conceded Chester are now likely to be relegated and has called on the club's hierarchy to begin planning for life in National League North.

Four successive defeats, the latest being the Blues' 2-0 loss at bitter rivals Wrexham on Sunday, leaves Bignot's outfit six points adrift of safety with just nine National League matches remaining, including facing five of the current top six.

For the first time when asked if Chester would be plying their trade in the league below next season, Bignot nodded in agreement and admitted high-earning players must now be moved on between now and May in order to safeguard the future of the cash-strapped club.

Bignot explained: "The most important thing now as a football club is we make decisions quickly as to where we're going. The budget is going to be key.

"It's irrelevant to what league we're in. There is a process for working towards a summer of development and recruitment and producing a football club, in terms of what is needed and what is required.

"I'm sure the powers that be are working hard on that.

"The here and now, the cash flow has been addressed and the problems with outstanding fundraising. But it's important for the football club now to clearly define a structure and strategy in terms of how we move forward from here.

"We've got a football club but where's it heading? What's it doing? These are the questions that need to be answered. We need as a club to be doing that, and we need to have been doing that from yesterday if you like.

"Development and recruiting is going to be key, and the hard work starts now, regardless of what division we're in and there's certain things in place at the moment that we're not there."

Three more first-team players left Chester last week by mutual consent, with Bignot praising Jordan Chapell, Liam Davies and Paul Turnbull - who has since joined Stockport County - for their professionalism.

"It's never easy for the players," he continued. "It's never easy when players want to stay and they're told they are no longer wanted. I can certainly say from a player relationship point of view, Paul Turnbull is an ultimate pro and has conducted himself superbly.

"A lot of credit must go to the players. You don't understand the situation this has created for them. It's their livelihoods, that's the reality. They have families, they have kids, and every single one of them have been a credit to themselves."

Blacon-born midfielder Gary Roberts, who described himself as 'absolutely gutted' to have missed his first-ever cross-border derby with a shin injury, could return for next weekend's clash with Aldershot Town, with Bignot admitting it was a 'huge blow' to lose Roberts prior to kick-off at The Racecourse.

"It was a huge blow to lose Gary, huge blow," he added. "That five minutes of game management I'm talking about, Gary Roberts would've told our keeper to keep the ball in his hands, just gather it.

"I hope Gary will be ok for next week. He hasn't been able to train and we left it until the last minute.

"That's when the youthful enthusiasm creeps in and as a manager it's frustration because they know it. They will only be better for these experiences though.

"We had plenty of opportunities to manage that situation. If it goes out for a restart, we are in control, when it's in the keepers' hand, we're in control. We were having the ball and putting ourselves under pressure when there is no need. We could have taken the sting out. There's times when to play and when not to play, we'll encourage them to play in the thirds at a quick tempo but we can't play high intensity for 90 minutes with this team.

"We were in control, I'm screaming from the side. I wish I was out there because we talked about those moments, what to do in them, and we never did it. It's the groups fault that we didn't manage the situation.

"But look, from the goalkeeper right the way through, they were good and coped with the game well. You'll see we're trying to play out from the back now, from Andy in goal and we've played the thirds and created opportunities and from the team we inherited to the team we've got now, it excites me moving forward the way we play."