CITY'S higher paid stars may have committed their futures to Maine Road but the harsh realities of relegation may take the decision out of their hands.

Players like Paulo Wanchope - reportedly the highest paid on £33,000 a week - Laurent Charvet and Darren Huckerby are likely to be off-loaded to the highest bidder as City learn to cut their cloth after having £15m wiped from their income for next season.

In fact the drop to the First Division is likely to see some new young faces and some older largely forgotten ones coming into the limelight next season.

City have high hopes for half a dozen graduates of their youth academy, such as 19-year-old midfielder Terry Dunfield who is hoping for a debut against Chelsea next Saturday, and manager Joe Royle will be watching their progress closely in pre-season to see if they are ready for first team action.

And he will not forget that the likes of Andy Morrison, Spencer Prior and Richard Edghill possess vital experience of having helped City win promotion from the First Division before and could do a job again.