New Zealand national team vice-captain Tim Brown has undergone successful shoulder surgery in Auckland today.

The Wellington Phoenix midfielder was injured in the friendly loss to Australia on Monday night suffering a fracture of his humerus (upper arm) which required three screws to secure it in place.

Brown will remain in hospital until Saturday afternoon and will then see a specialist in about a week to see if he is any chance of making it to South Africa for the All Whites' World Cup campaign.