Former Norwich City star Darren Huckerby has been ruled out for the rest of the American MLS season after undergoing an operation on a persistent hip problem.

Former Norwich City star Darren Huckerby has been ruled out for the rest of the American MLS season after undergoing an operation on a persistent hip problem.

And that could jeopardise any chance City fans have of seeing Huckerby in a yellow and green shirt any time soon.

Many had hoped Huckerby would return to Carrow Road when his contract with the San Jose Earthquakes expires at the end of their season, in October.

But the 33-year-old underwent surgery on Friday to repair torn cartilage that lines the socket of the hip joint.

Huckerby has been troubled by hip problems even before he left Norwich, at the end of the 2007-08 season.

It was originally planned that Huckerby would have surgery during the off-season, but with eight matches left and his team out of the play-off pictures, the schedule was brought forward.

"Why wait?" said coach Frank Yallop. "Darren at 75pc doesn't do anyone good. He was sore most of the time when he was training.

"Being the pro he is Darren kept battling through it."

The surgery was performed by Marc J. Phillppon at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colorado.

Yallop said he would have to wait and see how Huckerby - the Earthquakes' biggest earner - recovers before making a decision about next season.