Carlisle United’s caretakers have mapped out a full week’s training as the Blues move closer to appointing a new boss.

Joint interim boss Steven Rudd says he and his fellow caretaker coaches have planned United’s build-up to next weekend’s trip to Swindon Town.

Whether or not they will oversee the full week’s work depends on when United will bring their search for a new head coach to a head.

The recruitment of a new boss, plus a new sporting director, is believed to be in its latter stages.

There remains the prospect of new leadership in place at Brunton Park before the Swindon trip but United have yet to give an indication of when things will be confirmed.

In the meantime Rudd said it was the “professional thing” for himself, Mark Birch and Jamie Devitt to set out plans for the next week, while the wait continues.

“The week's fully planned going into Swindon for us,” Rudd told the News & Star.

“We know what we're doing training-wise and what days we are in, when we are travelling and things like that.

“So the week is planned. Whether it will be us [taking it], we don’t actually know at this point.

“But in the worst-case scenario the week is planned and we're ready to go to Swindon – we've got our homework done on them a little bit already, and we have to be better in what we do, but it might be us or it might not.”

United have lost their three games under the caretaker trio since Paul Simpson’s departure, the latest being Saturday's 3-2 home defeat to Fleetwood Town.

Rudd last week said United owner Tom Piatak and Nigel Clibbens had last Thursday spoken of their “excitement” at how the recruitment process was progressing.

This week is expected to see the final stages as United move closer to having new footballing figureheads at the club.

The need for fresh direction could not be more pressing given their dreadful start to the season, which has seen five defeats from six in the league - and a club record seven losses from their first eight games in all competitions.