Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech believes his helmet may have been crucial in preventing teammate Kurt Zouma from suffering a serious injury in Tuesday's 3-1 Capital One Cup win at Derby.
Cech has worn a scrum cap since he suffered a head injury in a clash with Reading's Stephen Hunt back in 2006, and he feels it may have softened the blow Zouma received in the aerial clash with his colleague.
"I had a huge hit on my right side and, obviously, when I got the ball away I was looking where the ball goes and it was a punch so I was happy with that," Cech said, according to the Daily Telegraph.
"Then I saw him [Zouma] lying on the floor. I was a bit concerned because we collided with a heavy clash. I think it was lucky he hit my helmet because the impact would have been much bigger. I think the helmet saved him, me as well, because he hit most of the helmet and took away a little bit of the impact.
"He's fine. The medical staff did really well to assess the situation. In this kind of clash you never know. He did not look so good to continue. Obviously, it was the right choice. Now he is all clear, hopefully. He is sitting there happy we won the game.
"In football you have this situation quite often. You have the cross and everybody wants to win the header, so there is always a possibility you will collide with someone. This is a common thing in football."
Cech also suggested the medical staff at Derby did not react quickly enough to the incident, much to the frustration of Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro and Chelsea stars Cesc Fabregas and Cesar Azpilicueta, who helped to bring on the stretcher.
"Eva was saying at least three times prior to that through the radio: 'Bring the stretcher.' We could hear it," Cech added. "I think that was why everyone was upset with the call. We heard 'Bring the stretchers,' 'Bring the stretchers' and 'Bring the stretchers' but nobody was coming. I think that's why the players got involved.
"Overall I think the situation was handled well -- everybody did the right thing. The main objective was to make sure the player was safe and he is safe.
"The doctor was there quickly, everybody was there making sure he was OK. Our medical team and the referees, they did really well. The other guys took a little bit of time, but I don't think the player was in danger at that time because the doctor was with him, Eva was with him."