Cherries boss Paul Groves says he imminently expects to unveil new members of his “vital” backroom team.

The League One outfit this week named ex-Rochdale man Dan Hodges as their new head of sports science.

Groves is also planning to appoint a new first-team coach, a development squad coach and a match analysis expert.

The Cherries boss told the Daily Echo: “We are very close on one or two more appointments and they have been sorting out their own circumstances.

“Hopefully, in the next few days, we should be able to announce something on that front.

“I think the backroom staff are vital to taking the club forward.”

Meanwhile, Groves is confident Cherries’ pre-season programme will prepare them well ahead of beginning the 2012-13 campaign in the League Cup first round.

Cherries were yesterday handed a trip to Oxford United in the regionalised draw of the competition which will kick off next season’s competitive games in the week commencing August 13.

Groves’s men will warm up for what he described as a “difficult” match with friendly fixtures against the likes of Reading and Cardiff City, as well as local non-league clubs including Poole Town, Wimborne Town and a newly-announced clash with Havant & Waterlooville on Wednesday, August 1.

He added: “The work that you do can never get to the intensity of a competitive game.

“But we feel that the opposition we are going to face in pre-season will give us a good test.”