"Going to lose 6 or 7" - Richie Wellens makes worrying Leyton Orient admission after Charlton Athletic defeat | OneFootball

Richie Wellens said he's expecting to lose "six or seven" players this summer, after Leyton Orient lost the League One play-off final.

Richie Wellens has revealed the struggles he's faced as Leyton Orient manager since taking over the club, and fears he could face another overhaul this summer following his side's defeat to Charlton Athletic.

The O's got off to a really poor start in League One, and were touted as a potential relegation candidate early doors. However, an excellent turn of form saw the London club shoot up the table and eventually make it into the play-offs against all odds.

Orient managed to overcome Stockport County to reach Wembley, but heartbreakingly fell short at the final hurdle against Charlton, meaning they will face another season in League One.

Despite the defeat, the brains behind the operations on the pitch, Wellens, was an open book in the post-match press conference, giving a very honest assessment of what could be ahead for his side.

The Leyton Orient boss spoke of losing key players at the end of every season he's been in charge, and expects that disappointing trend to continue in the summer.

Richie Wellens expects "six or seven" departures after Leyton Orient miss out on promotion

Wellens addressed the press following the defeat to Charlton at Wembley on Sunday afternoon, and opened up on the struggles he's faced during his time at the club so far.

“Every year that I’m at this football club, the first year I join, when we’re 20th in the league [League Two], I have the last 13 games, and we stay up, then I lose two or three of my best players," the 45-year-old said.

"The year after we win League Two, I lose 5 of my best players. Then we finish 11th last year. I lose five of my best players.

"We finish sixth year and got beat in the final. Potentially you’re going to lose six or seven players, so it’s really difficult for me.

"I’m gutted about losing the game, don’t get me wrong, but more heartbreaking for me is that I won’t get to work with these players as a group and as a collective again.”

Wellens' statements will be a concern for Orient supporters as it sounds like a rebuild is looming this summer. However, as he mentioned, this is nothing new, and four seasons of continuous improvement under the former Leicester City man suggests that this is something he knows how to overcome.

Another Leyton Orient rebuild job likely for Richie Wellens

Despite falling short in the final, everyone connected with Leyton Orient should hold their heads high, considering the remarkable turnaround they've had to even make it to Wembley.

The O's played the loan market brilliantly, but you run the risk of not getting a loanee back if they perform well, and that looks likely to be the case for Wellens' side.

It's likely that Sunday's final was the last time Jamie Donley, Josh Keeley, Jack Currie, and Charlie Kelman pulled on an Orient shirt, all of which will be big losses for the club heading into next season.

Key players who belong to the club, such as Jordan Brown and Ethan Galbraith, could also attract interest from higher up the EFL, which could deal even further damage to the O's.

However, Wellens admitted that a rebuilding job is a common theme each summer, and after progressing each season under the 45-year-old, there's no reason to believe that Leyton Orient won't be in a promotion battle next season.

Whilst it'll be extremely difficult to replace the likes of Kelman and Donley, Wellens has worked his magic plenty of times before, but this season's success leaves him with a tough job on his hands in the summer.