Grant returned from Moscow saying he wanted to remain as manager but is understood to have said his farewells to the playing staff on Friday.

And his departure looms ever nearer after Buck admitted the club were "disappointed" with the season, their first without a trophy for three years.

Chelsea lost to Tottenham in the Carling Cup final, to Manchester United in the Champions League final and finished second to United in the Barclays Premier League.

"We have had a great season," said Buck. "In the four competitions we were in, we were runners up in three of them.

"But we have very high expectations at Chelsea and a couple of second place finishes is just not good enough for us.

"Although we never would have thought in September when Jose Mourinho left that we would be able to make it into a Champions League Final - as we did, and that is fantastic - Chelsea is here to win trophies so, although it was an excellent season, we are still disappointed."

Buck also confirmed chief executive Peter Kenyon's view that the squad will be trimmed down during the summer.

"We decided several months ago that our squad size is a few players too many," Buck added.

"It is about 28 now and it should really be 22 plus three goalkeepers. So there is going to be some movement just to get the squad down to the size we think is optimum.

"In terms of other transfers generally, every year we want to tweak the squad a bit so there will be some changes but I don't expect there to be massive, wholesale changes."

Buck also said the club intend to sit down with striker Didier Drogba, who expressed a desire to leave earlier in the season, and reach a conclusion together.

Drogba, sent off in extra time in Moscow for slapping Nemanja Vidic, has been linked with numerous clubs and is expected to leave.

"Didier is a superb player generally," admitted Buck. "There have been some comments reported to be made by Didier over that last year that maybe he would like to leave Chelsea. On most occasions he has said that he has been misquoted.

"Now that the season is over we have to sit down with him and see what the story is and what his future is. He is a great player, I hope he stays, but that is a decision the club and Didier will have to make collectively.

"This year he has had some niggling injuries but we know he can change the course of a game, as he nearly did in Moscow.

"As I have said, he is a superb player but if you are a world-class player, which he is, you have to avoid the silly red cards, the ones that come about over nothing and I think Didier will be sorry that he got that red card."