Sidelined Darren Huckerby admitted today that he knew “after just two or three minutes” that he wouldn't get through City's Coca-Cola Championship match at Coventry.

Sidelined Darren Huckerby admitted today that he knew “after just two or three minutes” that he wouldn't get through City's Coca-Cola Championship match at Coventry.

Manager Nigel Worthington has suffered a major blow with the news that his star forward will be out for three to four weeks because of a torn groin muscle.

Huckerby was substituted four minutes into the second half of Saturday's 3-0 defeat at the Ricoh Arena and missed his first league match of the season last night at Southend United.

Worthington revealed earlier that 30-year-old Huckerby had been carrying the injury for weeks, but had told him he was confident he would get through 90 minutes against his former club. The plan backfired.

“I knew I wouldn't get through the game because after just two or three minutes I was struggling, but I wanted to carry on,” said Huckerby.

“Sometimes your muscles are tight and the feeling just goes away during the match, but this one didn't seem to go away and we found out afterwards there was a little tear on one of the muscles.

“But it's not that bad. It's only a grade one or grade two tear so hopefully within three weeks I'll be back. But we have got some good players to come in too - the team isn't just about one person,” he told the club's official website.

“We have been playing really well and were very confident going into the game, but from the start I was struggling and my mind wasn't really on the match, it was on my groin muscle. Dickson Etuhu wasn't well either so I think it all played a part.”

Huckerby now faces his longest spell on the sidelines since signing for the Canaries on Boxing Day 2003.