Andy Little (pictured right) will play no further part in the remainder of the season for Glasgow Rangers following a hip operation last month. Little has been bothered by a groin problem all season and this has been traced back to his hip. It is not all bad news though for the Northern Ireland international who has been offered a new two year contract by the Old Firm club.

�I have an impingement on my hip and it has been giving me referred pain in my groin which is what I have been struggling with all season. I could have had a short term fix and continued playing but I was going to need a hip operation at some stage anyway so I decided to go ahead and get it done. It should help to make me a better player as it will improve my range of movement. I had the operation on the right side last Monday and I will be on crutches for six weeks and then it will be a couple of weeks strengthening it. Then in March I will get the second operation on my left side,� said Little.

He hopes though that he will be back when the players return for pre-season.

�I will probably spend May and June with the physios and the aim is to be fit for pre-season in July when the rest of the players come back and I�m confident that I will be ready for then. It�s then basically a case of starting again because this season has been wiped out for me,� he said.

The Enniskillen man is out of contract at the end of the season but he says that he is close to signing a new deal with the club.

�My current deal is up at the end of the season but I�ve been offered a two year extension and that should be signed soon,� he commented.

Meanwhile, Kyle Lafferty has been included in the Northern Ireland squad for the Carling Nations Cup game against Scotland at Dublin�s Aviva Stadium on Wednesday February 9.