YORK City are looking to offload more players this month following former Wembley hero Ashley Chambers’ move to Conference club Cambridge United.

Bootham Crescent chief Nigel Worthington has expressed a preference for any out-of-favour players to leave on a permanent basis rather than being farmed out on loan but also added that any departures would only be sanctioned when it suited the club.

Chambers, who scored for City during the 2012 Blue Square Bet Premier play-off final victory over Luton, has left for non-League promotion hopefuls Cambridge after starting just one game since mid-October.

Left-back Jamal Fyfield, who has featured in just two league games all season, might follow Chambers through the exit door, while the likes of Tom Allan, Craig Clay, Sander Puri and Chris Dickinson have also struggled for first-team opportunities in recent months.

On the possibility of further departures during the transfer window, Worthington said: “We are looking at some players to leave permanently rather than on loan because that’s fairer for the players and the club, but the club has to come first before anybody leaves.”

While City visit bottom-of-the-table Northampton tomorrow, Chambers will be taking on old Conference nemesis Luton with new club Cambridge in the FA Trophy.

The former Leicester attacker scored a crucial goal in City’s 2-0 win at Sixfields last season, kicking off a run of three straight wins that preserved the club’s Football League status.

Chambers was also on target in the 2-0 victory over Plymouth last April that ended a run of 16 games without a win and gave Worthington his first victory in charge of the Minstermen.

He finished last term as City’s top scorer with ten goals but has failed to find the net in 18 outings this season and Worthington felt the time was right for both player and club to part company, saying: “Working close to Ash, I felt it had got to the stage where he needed a change and he probably agreed with that.

“Rather than wait for the summer, when there will be a lot of out-of-contract players looking for clubs, it was an opportunity for him to move now so I think it was the right thing to do. I believe he is capable of being a Football League player but he just needs a fresh challenge.

“He played a big part in those final games last season to make sure York stayed in the league so I am very grateful for that. I wish him all the best for the rest of the season and hope he does well.”

Worthington is also targeting further additions to his squad in the coming weeks, with a goalkeeper and centre-back believed to be priorities.

“We are still looking at a couple of things that we have been working on since December but, sometimes, you have to be patient to see if they will happen,” the City boss added.

For a third successive match, City could be without a substitute goalkeeper at Northampton and Worthington admitted: “It’s not an ideal situation.

“You normally want one ’keeper to perform and one to back up but, if I can’t get the individual I want, then we might need to get through the next week or two with just one ’keeper.”

Centre-back Dan Parslow has undergone his cruciate knee ligament operation with Worthington hoping the ex-Wales Under-21 international can now plan his recovery.

“Having the operation is always the biggest thing because, once that’s out of the way, you can look forward to your rehab and getting better,” Worthington reasoned.

City will not be rushing back nine-goal striker Ryan Jarvis, meanwhile, despite his return to light training this week following the hamstring injury he suffered during the 1-0 New Year’s Day win against Morecambe.

“We will be seeing what he is like over the next 24 hours but, if there is any risk at all, he won’t be involved,” Worthington said.