BLACKBURN Rovers were today hoping to get the green light to start formal discussions with Mark Hughes about the vacant manager's job at Ewood Park.

I can reveal that Rovers have now made an official approach to the Football Association of Wales to ask for permission to speak to Hughes.

And leading officials at the FAW were due to make a decision at a hastily arranged meeting today.

Hughes has already made it clear that he wants the Blackburn job after releasing a statement through his agent Dennis Roach yesterday.

Now his employers at the FAW are unlikely to stand in the 40-year-old's way because of a release clause in his contract, thus clearing a path for the former Manchester United star to take over at Rovers later this week.

Ideally, Rovers want to start formal negotiations with Hughes in the next 24 hours with a view to installing him as Graeme Souness's successor before the weekend.

And there's even a chance he could have some involvement in Saturday's game with Portsmouth at Ewood if all goes to plan.

As I understand it, Rovers are willing to let Hughes carry on as manager of Wales in the short term.

The idea would be for Hughes to take charge of the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against England and Poland next month.

Then once those games are out of the way, Hughes would be expected to relinquish his role and concentrate solely on the task of managing Rovers full-time.

Hughes's representative, Dennis Roach, said last night: "Mark has a contract with Wales which he totally respects.

"However, it has always been his ambition to manage in the Premiership if the right job at the right club came along, and there is a clause in his contract which allows for that to happen.

"Mark had two great years at Ewood Park as a player so Blackburn is a club which is close to his heart, and therefore this is the kind of job that would interest him.

"The people at Blackburn would have to go through the right channels with the Welsh Football Association but if they wanted to talk to Mark then he would be very interested to listen."

Asked about the possibility of Hughes continuing as Wales manager on a part-time basis for next month's qualifiers, Roach added: "The relationship with the Football Association of Wales has been fantastic and I'm sure that would be continued.

"If it was agreed, I'm sure it wouldn't be an impossible situation for him to carry on for the last two games.

"Wales don't have any international matches until February which gives them plenty of time to find a replacement if it happens."