Coventry City manager Steven Pressley has expressed his determination to keep star players Carl Baker, Leon Clarke and Joe Murphy at the club.
The Sky Blues are currently in financial turmoil, but the Scot insists that he will not be forced to cash in on his prize assets.
"These are three key players for the football club and I am desperately keen to keep all of them," he told the Coventry Telegraph.
"I did speak to them on Friday after we received our 10-point deduction but nobody told me to do that. It was entirely a management decision - my decision - and nothing whatsoever to do with financial matters.
"The truth is that I wanted to reassure myself that they are still fully motivated and committed to the club despite the fact that instead of pushing for promotion, as we had hoped, we find ourselves in a relegation battle."
Coventry begin the new season with a 10-point deduction after creditors turned down a Company Voluntary Agreement, meaning that part of the club faces liquidation.
