Ipswich may be forced to sell players this month after axing almost 20 backroom staff.

The First Division club blame falling gates at Portman Road since relegation from the Premiership as one reason for the cost-cutting programme.

But chairman David Sheepshanks also admitted the wage bill was a huge drain on resources and refused to rule out cuts with the transfer window now open.

He said: "On the playing side we want to support Joe Royle as much as possible by retaining a team that is capable of promotion but by the same token our hands are tied by financial realities.

"The transfer window is now open and I can only repeat what I have said previously - that we cannot rule out the possibility of player sales as clearly the most significant cost base for the club centres around our playing staff.

"While we still harbour ambitions of challenging for a play-off position we cannot gamble the next six months costs on an uncertain outcome," he told the club's official website.