SHEFFIELD Wednesday not Liverpool is the focus for Blackburn Rovers right now, but Gary Bowyer is starting to look even further ahead after holding talks with Venky’s about the club’s summer transfer plans.

Rovers travel to Hillsborough for a Championship fixture tonight and Bowyer says his squad are fully focused on the game, despite the proximity of the club’s FA Cup quarter final against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

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But Bowyer’s role as manager means he must secure results in the present and also make sure plans are in place for what lies ahead.

Discussions have commenced with the club’s owners as Rovers weigh up their plans for next season, which could depend on how and when the club are able to get their transfer embargo lifted.

Rovers’ recruitment drive has been hampered for some time by the need to cut their wage bill and move towards meeting Financial Fair Play regulations, even before the embargo came into force on January 1.

But Bowyer hopes Rovers will have a greater opportunity to strengthen in the summer.

Decisions also need to be made about a host of out of contract players, which include Matt Kilgallon, Lee Williamson, Chris Taylor, Josh King, David Dunn, Luke Varney and Paul Robinson.

Rovers have confirmed they are in talks with King over a new deal, but Varney and Robinson look likely to leave.

“I think you’ve always got to be planning ahead,” Bowyer said.

“We’ve already started in terms of plans for pre-season. We’re aware that people are out of contract here and that we need to bring new blood into the group.

“It’s going to be another big summer for us. At this moment in time we’re speaking with the owners and the board and looking at the different ways in which hopefully we can come out of the embargo and enable us to become more competitive in the market than we were last summer.

“I think you look at all good teams and good clubs who always build on what they already had.

“We probably just missed a slight opportunity last summer to enhance what we’d already got.”

Rovers’ busy fixture list means Bowyer has not yet been able to fly to India to hold face to face talks with Venky’s about summer plans, while it has not yet been decided if the owners will come to Blackburn for discussions.

But the Rovers boss says they continue to be supportive as plans are put in place.

“I don’t see why they shouldn’t be, they are supporting the club financially, the club needs that support and long may that continue,” he said.

“I haven’t met them face to face, not yet. With this schedule we’ve got I don’t know how you expect me to fly to India and back!

“There’s always that option available for them to come here but they’ve been good on the phone and the emails, and with the board they can be contacted.

“They’ve been fantastic support to the club.”

But Bowyer’s focus is still very much on the here and now, with Rovers not giving up on their faint play-off hopes - despite sitting 16 points behind the top six with 12 games remaining.

The manager believes his side will not be distracted by Sunday’s cup trip to Liverpool when they travel to Hillsborough tonight.

“At this moment in time there’s nothing greater than going to Sheffield Wednesday,” Bowyer said.

“It’s impossible to ban the players from thinking about the Liverpool game. Away from here it’s human nature, they’ve got families.

“But at the training ground they have been spot on with their approach to this game.

“We’re focused massively on this game. This is more important because it’s our next game, as simple as that.”