Decision on Saab's fate could be hours away -report

STOCKHOLM Oct 11 (Reuters) - The administrator in charge of Saab's restructuring under court protection could pull the plug on the process as early as Tuesday, paving the way for declaring the auto maker bankrupt, daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reported.

Citing sources with knowledge of the process, the paper said that Saab still had not received a bridge loan of 70 million euros ($96 million) that was secured by Chinese car firm Youngman.

Saab has run out of cash and for the restructuring process to proceed it needs to be able to pay wages after a state salary insurance scheme runs out on Oct. 21.

Should the administrator call an end to the restructuring process, the court would likely declare the company bankrupt.

Neither Saab nor the administrator could immediately be reached for comment.

Saab-owner Swedish Automobile has struggled for months to stave off collapse, seeking new investors and selling off various assets so that it could pay suppliers and employees and resume production at its Saab plant in Sweden.

Saab had hoped protection from creditors would allow it to survive until China's authorities approve a 245 million euro ($336 million) investment by car firms Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile and Pangda .

A decision by China's NDRC could come as early as Friday.

The paper also quoted Swedish Debt Office spokesman Daniel Barr rejecting media reports the government could pay off Saab's debt to the European Investment Bank and convert the security on the loan to shares in Saab.

"No, the Debt Office does not have any such mandate," he said. ($1 = 0.732 Euros) (Reporting by Simon Johnson; Editing by Helen Massy-Beresford)