GARY Bowyer says Blackburn Rovers must show real fight to dig their way out of relegation trouble after admitting the 3-0 loss at Cardiff has left the club in a deeply concerning position.

A poor display in the Welsh capital, combined with wins for Barnsley and Wolves, mean Rovers now sit level on points with the Championship’s bottom three.

Rovers only dropped out of the top flight a year ago and Bowyer admits the prospect of relegation to League One would be unthinkable for the club.

And the caretaker boss says his players must be prepared to fight their way out of danger, starting with Saturday’s match at fellow relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

“We’re going to have to (show some fight),” he said.

“It’s as simple as that, we’re going to have to, to stay in this division.

“Everyone is going to be fighting for it and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

“Of course the situation is worrying.

“The football club got relegated from the Premier League last year so we know what it feels like and we certainly don’t need it happening again.

“We’ve got to dust ourselves down from today and have a right good go at Sheffield Wednesday.

“But if we go to Sheffield Wednesday and pick a win up, that doesn’t mean we’re safe. They’re going to be huge games all the way until the end of the season now.”

Rovers will await scans on a knee injury picked up by keeper Jake Kean in the second half at the Cardiff City Stadium, with on-loan Pole Grzegorz Sandomierski coming on for his debut.

“He’s getting assessed by the medics so we’ll just have to see,” Bowyer said. “We hope he’s okay. We just have to take it from there once he gets scanned.”

Bowyer, who felt that Cardiff’s first goal should have been disallowed for a foul on Kean, made five changes to his side yesterday.

Top scorer Jordan Rhodes was rested, while Lee Williamson, Josh King and Nuno Gomes missed out through illness.

Bowyer said. “It hampered our preparations a little bit but we’ve got the players in the squad to use.

“Obviously the feeling is one of disappointment. We weren’t coming down here for the ride, they started magnificently and put us under an enormous amount of pressure.

“We withstood it and you’re just hoping to get through to half time.

“I thought it was a foul on the keeper but we don’t seem to be getting those decisions at the moment.

“In the second half we were just about knocking on the door but after the second goal we were chasing it. Obviously losing the goalkeeper didn’t help.

“But I wouldn’t say we are short on confidence. When you come to a place like Cardiff, they’re top of the league for a reason.”