Everton's Roberto Martinez wants new rule to protect concussed players

Everton manager Roberto Martinez believes that a new rule should be introduced to help protect players that could suffer concussion as a result of a head injury.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas was criticised for allowing goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to play on after receiving a blow to the head in their goalless draw with Everton last weekend.

However, Martinez believes that the final decision of whether a player should continue following a head injury should not be down to the manager.

"My view is that I don't think it should be a manager's decision whether you take a player off or not," Martinez said in a press conference. "If there is a strong view from the medical side that a player, when he gets concussed, should come off, I think we should look into it and make a rule."

Villas-Boas claimed yesterday that Everton's Romelu Lukaku could have avoided connecting his knee with Lloris when the pair collided during the clash.