Chester will have to slim down their squad after the Football League informed them that they had exceeded their allotted salary cap.
The cap, 60% of total turnover, is believed to have been exceeded following the signings of Ricky Ravenhill and Roberto Martinez. The Football League have issued a warning to the club to deal with the situation before the season starts otherwise fines and points deductions may be applicable.
Chester have signed 16 new players since last season ended, with chairman Stephen Vaughan expecting promotion this season. Fringe players Dave Artell and Jermaine McSporran are expected to be the first casualties of the cull, despite McSporran joining only in June and Artell being a regular last season.