ZAGREB: Croatia coach Slaven Bilic will undergo hip surgery next week, a legacy of the wear and tear from his 14-year playing career, the country’s football federation (HNS) announced on Saturday.

The 43-year-old, who has been national coach since August 2006 and will lead Croatia into the Euro 2012 Finals this summer, will have the surgery to repair damaged cartilage at a private clinic in the western town of Rijeka.

His rehabilitation will take about a month, but he is expected to be back on the bench when Croatia face Sweden in a friendly international on Feb 29.  

Bilic is no stranger to hip pain having famously played with the injury at the 1998 World Cup.  

Croatia have been drawn in Group C at the Euro 2012 Finals, which take place in Poland and Ukraine from June 8 until July 1, along with defending champions Spain, Italy and Ireland. — AFP

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