BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer believes promotion to the Premier League has become even harder after Wigan Athletic’s appointment of title-winning manager Malky Mackay.

Mackay led Cardiff City to Championship glory in the 2012-13 and this week returned to football as the successor to Uwe Rosler at surprise strugglers Wigan.

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Bowyer also feels the recent managerial changes at Bolton Wanderers, Fulham and Leeds United, tomorrow’s visitors to Ewood Park, will serve only to make the race for the top-six places even more competitive.

“The Championship got harder on Wednesday with the appointment of Malky Mackay at Wigan because he’s a good manager and he got promoted out of this league,” said Bowyer, whose side, unbeaten in seven matches, sit one place off the play-offs in seventh.

“I wouldn’t rule Bolton or Fulham out yet either and I’d also bring Leeds into that category as well.

“Leeds are one of those clubs who have turned it around in the last couple of weeks and Saturday will be a tough game for us.”

The Whites installed academy manager and former caretaker boss Neil Redfearn into the Elland Road hotseat at the start of the month.

Earlier in the season Redfearn led Leeds on a run of three wins and a draw after the sacking of Dave Hockaday.

But he was overlooked for the top job by the club’s colourful Italian owner Massimo Cellino who instead turned to Darko Milanic.

The Slovenian lasted just 32 days, however, before he was replaced by Redfearn.

The former Barnsley midfielder failed to win either of his first two games as full-time manager.

But the Whites’ 3-1 victory at home to basement boys Blackpool last time out has raised their spirits going into tomorrow’s Roses clash.

Bowyer, who was a reported managerial target for trigger-happy Cellino in the summer, said: “At last there seems to be common sense with the appointment of Neil Redfearn.

“People always go looking for something, something sexier or whatever is trendy at the time, and Neil has been in there, he knows the club inside out, he’s done all the roles, similar to myself here, and they’ve given him the job.”

It was all calm at Brockhall yesterday as Bowyer prepared his players for their first fixture after the international break.

But across the north-west at Wigan controversy reigned.

Latics owner Dave Whelan’s appointment of Mackay, who is being investigated by the FA for offensive text messages he allegedly sent when he was in charge of Cardiff, has drawn criticism and yesterday resulted in one of the club’s shirts sponsors ending its support.

Whelan, a former Rovers defender, was also accused of anti-Semitism over comments he made to a national newspaper.

Bowyer, meanwhile, has refused to rule out bolstering his squad before the window for loan signings closes on Thursday.

He was said to be interested in England U21s winger Tom Ince last month and this week he has been linked with Leicester City’s Wales U21s striker Tom Lawrence.

Bowyer said: “You’ve always got to have one eye on it because that certain player who you might not think is available might become available.

“But at this moment we’ve got a settled group, a settled starting XI, so it would have to be the right one for us.”