Cardiff's Johnson to have hip op

Roger Johnson was a £275,000 signing from Wycombe Wanderers in July 2006

Cardiff City centre-back Roger Johnson is set to undergo an operation on an injured hip.

The 26-year-old, who is a target of a host of Premier League clubs, delayed surgery on his troublesome hip until the end of the season.

Johnson played through the pain in a desperate attempt to help Cardiff in their failed Championship play-off bid.

He missed just one league game this season and battled on despite suffering a broken foot in March.

Johnson was honoured by his peers last month when he was named in the Professional Footballers Association Championship team of the year.

The £3m-rated defender is apparently a target for North East Premier League rivals Sunderland and Middlesbrough as well as fellow strugglers Portsmouth.