BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer could make at least one addition to his squad in January – despite the club being hit by a New Year transfer embargo.

The Football League yesterday confirmed Rovers will be prevented from paying fees for new players until the summer at least.

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The Ewood Park outfit have been hit by the embargo after breaking Financial Fair Play rules that stated Championship clubs could not post more than an £8m loss for last season.

But with managing director Derek Shaw insisting Rovers remain intent on challenging for promotion, Bowyer will still be able to go into the market once the transfer window reopens on January 1.

Rules of the embargo will not stop Rovers from making free transfers and loan signings provided their squad contains fewer than 24 ‘established’ players and provided they do not pay each new arrival more than £600,000 a year.

‘Established’ players are those aged 21 or above on June 30, 2014 who have made at least five first-team starts for their current clubs.

It is understood Rovers currently have 22 ‘established’ players – goalkeepers Jason Steele, Simon Eastwood, Jake Kean and Paul Robinson, defenders Alex Baptiste, Grant Hanley, Shane Duffy, Markus Olsson, Matt Kilgallon and Tommy Spurr, midfielders Tom Cairney, Corry Evans, Lee Williamson, Ben Marshall, Craig Conway, Josh King, Chris Taylor, Jason Lowe, Ryan Tunnicliffe and David Dunn, and strikers Rudy Gestede and Jordan Rhodes.

That number will increase to 23 on January 1 when Bradley Orr, a possible loan target for Birmingham City, officially completes his year-long loan at FC Toronto.

And that number could rise again to 24 if Fleetwood Town opt against extending Josh Morris’ loan after it runs out on January 3.

The only other ‘established’ player Rovers have out on loan is Leon Best.

The striker is contracted until Derby County until the end of the season.

But the Rams do have the option of sending Best back next month.

Should Rovers reach the maximum 24 ‘established’ players they would be able to trade in a one in one out basis providing the player coming in does not earn more than 75 per cent of the wages paid to the player going out and providing the player coming in is not paid more than £600,000 a year.

The number of ‘established’ players on Bowyer’s books will be reduced if Steele, Baptiste or Tunnicliffe, who are on season-long loans, are recalled by their parent clubs next month.

Rovers managing director Shaw said: “Whilst the ruling will clearly present some difficulties, we will of course respect the rules of the Football League.

“A lot of effort and hard work has been done to reduce player costs over the last two years, but we have wanted to rebuild and challenge in this division at the same time, and we will continue to do that.”

Rovers are one of three Championship clubs, along with Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, who will definitely have to work under the constraints of a transfer embargo until the summer at least.

The trio, all former English champions, will have the opportunity to have their embargoes lifted at the end of the season if they demonstrate they have stayed within the maximum £6m loss permitted for the current 2014-15 campaign.

Rovers have yet to release their accounts for last season, 2013-14.

But they will certainly show a loss of more than £8m.