Sunday 18 January 2015 16:49, UK
Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer confirmed Rudy Gestede missed the 1-1 Sky Bet Championship draw at Wigan due to continuing uncertainty over his future.
The big striker has been the subject of interest from at least one Premier League club this month, and was duly left out of the trip to the DW Stadium.
Bowyer explained: "There's a Premier League club in discussions with the club - but the club quite rightly doesn't want to sell him on the cheap.
"If nothing is concluded over the weekend we'll have him back in work on Monday, and we'll continue to have him available for the rest of our games and scoring more goals.
"Talks have taken place over the last 24 hours and we decided to focus on this game with the players we knew would be available."
With a transfer embargo in place, Bowyer admits losing Gestede - even for a decent fee - would not be ideal.
He continued: "It would be a massive blow to lose any player in this embargo, because we don't get the money to replace them.
"It's like trying to do the job with our hands tied behind our backs a little bit, but we know the rules and we have to comply with them."
Talking about the game, Bowyer felt his side were unfortunate not to come away with all three points.
After taking the lead through Corry Evans, Rovers were pegged back when James McClean equalised just after the hour mark.
The Rovers camp felt McClean was fortunate to still be on the pitch, after his first-half lunge on Markus Olsson was punished only by a yellow card from referee Mike Jones.
The visitors' mood was hardly helped when Jordan Rhodes saw a late shot somehow cleared off the line by Leon Barnett when a goal seemed inevitable.
Bowyer said: "When the ball dropped to Jordan everybody expected to see it hit the net. Their lad got back and produced an unbelievable clearance.
"Fair play he didn't give up on it, but we're a little bit disappointed we haven't picked up all three points.
"That disappointment is magnified by the fact their goalscorer shouldn't be on the pitch following the challenge he produced in the first half.
"The referee is from the Premier League. I watch the Premier League on a Sunday and I see those challenges being given as red cards left, right and centre.
"It must be different rules in the Championship. I think the foul itself, I think he broke the long-jump record."
Opposite number Malky Mackay had a different view of McClean's challenge, saying: "Gary was stood next to me, 70 yards away, maybe he has bionic glasses. I thought the referee handled it well."
McClean's goal was created by a marvellous free-kick delivery from substitute Shaun Maloney, who came off the bench at half-time to drag his side level just 24 hours after the collapse of his proposed move to Leicester.
"Personally I'm delighted his move to Leicester broke down," added the Wigan boss. "He comes back today and it's not an easy skill to do what he's done, please believe me.
"It's a beautiful piece of football to deliver that ball in, as was James' header, and the two showed plenty of quality.
"Shaun's a good boy, someone I've only known for six or seven weeks but I've had plenty of chats over his future.
"I knew if I needed to call on him I could, and it shows the measure of him that he's playing like that two days after it looked like he would become a Leicester player."
