Tal Ben Haim leaves Portsmouth as Liam Lawrence remains

Defender Tal Ben Haim has left Portsmouth as the club look to clear their wage bill ahead of tomorrow's deadline.

Portsmouth have been told that they face liquidation unless they can reach an agreement with their players to leave Fratton Park, but the compromise with Ben Haim means that Liam Lawrence is now the only remaining player at the club.

Lawrence is a target of Cardiff City and club administrator Trevor Birch believes the progress that has been made over the past 24 hours has given the club a better chance of survival.

Birch told BBC Sport: "The progress that we have made over the past 24 hours means that there is now a much better prospect of meeting the conditions of the CVA, completing the sale of the club and avoiding liquidation."

Birch also revealed that an update on Lawrence should be forthcoming later on Thursday.