Ince ready for a battle

Paul Ince was a fighter as a player and he is proving to be a fighter now he is managing in the Premier League.

The big clubs are hovering like vultures over Blackburn's new manager with Ince admitting that Aston Villa had made a bid for England midfielder David Bentley.

But Ince insisted he would fight attempts to prise Bentley, Brad Friedel and Roque Santa Cruz away from Ewood Park and said: "I am still loving every minute of it. And no, I do not want to lose my best players."

The former MK Dons and Macclesfield boss maintains that Bentley, after a couple of days off to recover from an ankle injury, will be jetting out with Rovers to their German training camp on Wednesday.

Trialist Robbie Fowler will also be on the plane, while Ince does not expect Friedel to be going anywhere soon, other than to Germany with the rest of his squad.

Ince may well eventually concede the fight over Bentley, with a possible £17million on offer, but Santa Cruz is a long way from leaving, insists Ince.

He said: "When I came to Blackburn I said I wanted to keep my best players, and Brad Friedel comes into that category, he is one of the best 'keepers in the Premier League.

"There is no interest from me in Paul Robinson, as far as I am concerned I want to keep Brad. I do not want to sell Brad, so why should I want Paul Robinson.

"As for the David Bentley situation, that will not go away, only time will tell whether he is here in August. He would have played at Macclesfield if he had not been injured, but I know that in football players come and players go.

"We have had an offer from Aston Villa, but I do not want him to go. But he is injured and he will have a couple of days off and I hope to take him to Germany on Wednesday for or training trip."