He has not signed a new contract yet and can leave City for free in the summer. The drop in form though will surely have put off possible enquiries and maybe Joe would be better off signing the deal on offer from City (rumoured that it could make him the 2nd highest player at the club).
Earlier this week Peter Ridsdale commented that Joe was playing like "he was somewhere else" but is it Joe's head that elsewhere or his hip?
Now though Joe says hes being asked to play on while not being fully fit.
"I'm not playing at 100 per cent," he said.
"To tell you the truth I need an operation on my hip. I've been told that it will keep me out of the game for at least 10 to 12 weeks.
"The gaffer Dave Jones wants me to play through the injury, but I need an operation as soon as possible.
"It badly restricts my movement on certain things and it aggravates certain parts of my body.
"Nobody is going to see the best of me until that operation is done and sorted out properly. I'm not using it as an excuse for my form, it's a fact."
