Chris Lakey Darren Huckerby will see a surgeon this week to try and solve his long-standing hip problem.

Chris Lakey

Darren Huckerby will see a surgeon this week to try and solve his long-standing hip problem.

The Canaries winger was a surprise absentee from Saturday's squad to face Leicester, fuelling rumours that he had been dropped from the 16 by manager Glenn Roeder - which were simply fuelled by recent speculation linking the 31-year-old with a move to LA Galaxy in the North American Soccer League and, more recently, to Preston North End.

A smiling Huckerby declined to speak to the media after the game, but Roeder said there was a simple explanation for his absence.

“He has got a slight hip problem which needs to be looked at next week,” he said.

“He has got to go and see a surgeon, not to have an operation but a surgeon who apparently has looked at his hip before and he might just need another jab in it to take away the soreness he has got around his hip.”

Huckerby, who was presented with the PFA Fans' Player of the Month award for December before kick-off at the weekend, missed City's pre-season preparations as well as the first four games of the season with a hip problem and has rarely hit the heights that have been a trademark of his time at City.

“Darren would be the first to admit, we are not getting the best out of him - and Darren Huckerby is a very important player to the club and to the team,” said Roeder.

The City boss admits he prefers to play with just one wide man, and Huckerby is currently playing second fiddle to the in-form Lee Croft, who took away man of the match honours on Saturday.

“I thought he was terrific today,” said Roeder. “Other than score a goal he did all he could. He is pretty annoyed with himself because the last couple of games, at Barnsley and Bury, he should have scored.

“He knows he needs to be better on his finishing - we need players in all positions to chip in with a few goals, not just rely on the strikers, but it thought his performances over the last few weeks have been a real feature of our performances. When we have played well you normally look and see Crofty has played well.”