Steven Davis is hoping the Rangers squad is bolstered rather than trimmed in January despite European elimination piling on more financial woe for the cash-strapped Govan club.
The 2-0 defeat to Stuttgart at Ibrox on Tuesday night, their third home loss in the Champions League Group G, left them bottom of the table with two points from five games and without even the consolation of a Europa League spot.
The loss of around £2m from failing to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, notwithstanding ticket money and hospitality sales from the home gate, represents another blow to a club already around £31m in debt and looking for a buyer.
And with no compensatory cash from the Europa League, the European exit may hasten the departure of sellable assets such as Algerian defender Madjid Bougherra, who has blotted his copy book at Ibrox by failing to return on time from international duty three times, the most recent of which led to him sitting on the bench against Stuttgart.
Asked if he feared players leaving in January, Davis said: "I hope not.
"That will probably be out of the manager's hands but hopefully we can keep this group together.
"I'm sure the manager would like to bring in a couple of players to freshen things up as well.
"But that will be down to the people who run the club."
Davis believes the Ibrox players need to get back on the Champions League horse as quickly as possible by retaining their Clydesdale Bank Premier League title.
"Obviously we want to retain the SPL championship and that is our focus now," the Northern Ireland international said.
Davis, though, is well aware future Champions League draws may not be so kind.
When the Ibrox club were joined by Spanish side Sevilla, Romanian unknowns Unirea Urziceni and Stuttgart in Group G, it was thought second place was well within the capabilities of the Scottish champions.
However, Rangers' deficiencies were cruelly exposed against a team sitting 16th in the Bundesliga.
Had it not been for keeper Allan McGregor the Ibrox side could well have lost the four goals they did in the previous two home games against Unirea Urziceni and Sevilla.
© Press Association