Keith Curle will today set out which players he wants to keep at Carlisle United - and who is set for the chop.

The manager is holding a series of meetings with his squad after the end of the Blues' promotion dream.

Curle must decide on the fate of a number of players whose contracts are up at Brunton Park.

He is also understood to be considering the futures of some whose deals are not yet expired.

It heralds the start of the summer rebuilding at Carlisle and the manager has insisted every call he makes will be with improvement in mind.

After United's sixth-placed finish in League Two, followed by play-off defeat to Exeter, Curle said: "We need to maintain that level of improvement which means the decisions I make will be, in my opinion, for the betterment of the football club.

"There is nothing personal. Everything I do is professional."

Among those out of contract are Mark Gillespie, Michael Raynes and Jason Kennedy.

Curle has previously indicated that he wants the trio to remain at the club, with talks having begun at the same time as Danny Grainger, who has already signed a one-year extension.

Luke Joyce and Reggie Lambe have also triggered a further 12 months at the club.

But still up for discussion are Jabo Ibehre, Max Crocombe, James Bailey, Patrick Brough, Samir Nabi, Ben Tomlinson and Junior Joachim.

Loanees Jamie Proctor, Macaulay Gillesphey and George Waring are returning to their respective parent clubs.

Curle may also seek a decision on the future of defender Mark Ellis, who has another year on his deal but spent the second half of the season on loan at National League play-off winners Forest Green.

Also of intrigue will be the outcome of talks between Curle and the Blues hierarchy.

The manager suggested in a BBC Radio Cumbria interview after last Thursday's defeat at Exeter that he would be seeking assurances about United's aims for next season.

Curle, who has a year left on his own contract, said he wanted the club to match his own "level of ambition" and was keen to see the prospect of investment.

United's boss even suggested that he could "move on" if the club's ambition was not in line with his own.

Blues chairman Andrew Jenkins used an end-of-season message on United's website to "apologise" for the club's failure to reach League One.

Jenkins added: "The board and I will continue to do all we can to support the club and manager so that we we can continue to push towards success."