YORK City's Tom Evans does not feel the need to wear protective headgear at Tamworth this afternoon despite the idea being mooted on a national level following the injuries to Chelsea goalkeepers Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini.

The debate has gathered pace over the past seven days, largely due to salivating sales representatives, after Cech and Cudicini suffered head injuries during Chelsea's 1-0 victory at Reading last weekend.

Both players were substituted, leaving England captain John Terry between the sticks, but Evans, 29, dismissed arguments that goalkeepers should wear protection around their heads.

He said: "I would like to see the first keeper who wears a headguard because he will be laughed at. I saw the two incidents on Match of the Day and I don't think Stephen Hunt intended to hurt or cause injury to Cech.

"I think he probably had a little nibble at him, if that's the right phrase, because there was no real point in going for the ball but when I saw it I could not really work out how he had been so badly injured because he only glanced him and I think Cech was very unlucky. It was a bit of a freak injury and I don't think, as goalkeepers, we are more at risk than outfield players to those types of injuries.

"We are quite well protected in the lower leagues although you do seem to get more protection in the Premier League and international matches."

Evans will also be hoping for better protection from his defence at the Lamb Ground today.

The former Scunthorpe stopper shipped in four goals in last Saturday's demoralising defeat at St Albans and, having started the season by not conceding a goal in six of his first eight matches for City, Evans has now managed just one clean sheet in the last seven outings.

He said: "We are desperate to keep a clean sheet and have been working a lot on that in training. We had an off day at St Albans and got punished but we will be looking for a better performance at Tamworth and we know that when we play well we can play really well."