ANXIETY and frustration may emerge as the No. 1 cause of stress for Adelaide United players at the end of their contracts in May.

Spase Dilevski, Evgeniy Levchenko, Nigel Boogaard, Ricardo da Silva and Antony Golec - players nearing the conclusion of their initial deals - have probably had their Reds futures already discussed by United's football department.

With Mark Birighitti signing a pre-contract agreement with Newcastle Jets for the new season, Reds longevity looks unlikely for those players listed who haven't seen much game time this season due to injury.

But Professional Footballers Australia chief executive Brendan Schwab was confident players with balanced outlooks when it comes to dealing with professional sport and normal life will succeed in the next stage of their lives.

The PFA revealed the average player currently has a short life span. Just 2½ seasons in the A-League is considered normal.

"A player needs to look at three key developments," Schwab said.

"They need to look at their career medium term, not just focus on football but look at life outside the game and they must look at their career as being in constant transition.

"We also have an Education Fund which helps players study as they play."

Dilevski, da Silva and Levchenko appear to be the most vulnerable purely because the trio have clocked just 12 starts between them.

Ukrainian international Levchenko may well be in the last chance saloon if coach John Kosmina promises to deliver the skilful midfielder a start against Wellington Phoenix at Hindmarsh Stadium on Friday night.

Calf and groin injuries have restricted Levchenko to four starts from 19 games.

Now Kosmina is prepared to throw the big man into the deep end, not only to save United's decimated squad after the departure of Mullen, Golec and Birighitti to Olyroos duty in the Middle East but for the sake of the 34 year-old's career.

History shows Reds players haven't been offered new deals because of injury.

TSV 1860 Munich and former Reds striker Paul Agostino, Lloyd Owusu, Alemao, Dez Giraldi, Joe Costa, Shaun Ontong, Greg Owens and Bobby Petta all had their Reds tenures ended, not because they weren't good enough, but because injury stalled their careers.