PAUL Ince is closer to finalising his backroom team at Blackburn Rovers after making two more key appointments.

The Rovers boss was dealt a setback after losing reserve team manager Glyn Hodges and fitness coach Damien Roden.

But Ince has moved quickly to replace Roden by recruiting highly-respected fitness expert Mark Howard.

Howard - who has previously worked at Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United - will head up Rovers’ new-look sports science department.

He will be supported by an additional fitness coach, Duncan Russell, who follows Ince and assistant manager Ray Mathias from his previous employers, MK Dons.

Ince’s backroom team is now taking shape after former Manchester United and Scotland coach Archie Knox accepted the post of first-team coach, to be assisted by former MK Dons first-team coach Karl Robinson.

It means Blackburn’s first-team coaching set-up, and sports science unit, will each carry an extra member of staff under Ince than during Mark Hughes’ reign at Ewood Park.

However, the Rovers manager is still in the process of appointing a goalkeeping coach, with interviews for the post continuing this week.

Among those believed to be in the running is experienced Eric Steele, who worked as Manchester City’s goalkeeping coach last season.

Ince is poised to boost his staff numbers even further by recruiting a specialist defensive coach.

After exiting Rovers, it is believed that Hodges and Roden will join the exodus of staff following former Blackburn boss Hughes to Manchester City.

But Ince is said to be delighted at appointing Howard, who was Roden’s boss during their days together at Bolton.

“Mark is someone that has been known to the club and Paul has talked to him and is very happy with him,” said Rovers chairman John Williams.

“Along with Mark, we’ve brought in Duncan Russell from MK Dons. It means an extra body in the sports science department.”

Williams insists the club will make every effort to ensure Ince brings together the backroom staff he believes will take Rovers in the right direction.

And he added that Ince’s team will include a specialist defensive coach.

He said: “We’ve been working with Paul very closely - he’s put a lot of work into assembling his backroom staff.

“We are fully supportive of Paul’s ideas into bringing the right staff to the club.

“He’s discussed with me his idea of bringing in a specialist defensive coach and that’s something that is very innovative.”