Jack Grealish was left out of Everton’s League Cup win over Newcastle due to a breach of club discipline. Now it is being questioned whether this is the beginning of the end for the Englishman at Everton.
David Moyes confirms that it was the club’s decision to keep Jack Grealish out of Everton’s League Cup win over Newcastle, and the reason was “a breach of club discipline”.
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Everton did not disclose the details, but the decision is said to have come after an unauthorized absence from training.
“You know I’m not going to give any details,” Moyes said after the 3-1 win at Hill Dickinson Stadium, which secured a quarter-final against League Two side Fleetwood Town.
“It’s a club decision, and it’s something I don’t want to talk too much about.
Moyes made it clear that he supported the decision to leave out the 31-year-old England winger, who is on loan from Premier League rivals Manchester City.
Back at Everton after injury
Grealish spent much of last season at Everton under a similar deal, with two goals and six assists in 20 appearances – before suffering a foot injury in January that put an end to the season.
He returned to City and came on as a substitute in the 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield at Wembley in August. The former Aston Villa player, who cost City £100 million in 2021, was also a substitute in the 2-1 win over Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the Premier League.
He returned to Everton before the transfer window closed, and has made five league appearances for the club this season. Grealish also played in Everton’s win over Wolves in the League Cup third round.
Asked if Grealish will be back for the league game against Newcastle on Monday, Moyes replied: “I don’t want to reveal anything new.
What happens next for Grealish?
Grealish is in the final year of his alleged £300,000-a-week contract at Manchester City. He was dumped by Pep Guardiola in the Spaniard’s final season in charge and was given permission to join Everton on a season-long loan deal.
There were moments where he seemed to be approaching his best game for Everton before his foot injury. His form at the start of last season was so good that he won the Premier League’s Player of the Month award in August and quickly became a fan favourite.
“He’s a player who has fallen in love with the right shade of blue, but at the end of the day he’s a City player and we have to respect that,” Everton CEO Angus Kinnear told BBC Radio Merseyside in August.
“What I do know is that the supporters and the team embraced him and treated him as one of our own. That gave us a good starting point for a long-term conversation with him.
Grealish impressed so much last season that David Moyes openly spoke about how “loved” the player was at the club. However, the mood seems to have changed.
At a time when the Everton boss is relying on all the senior players to step in – after a disappointing summer transfer window that has made the squad thin – it is now being questioned whether Grealish’s breach of club discipline is the beginning of the end for his Everton career.
Grealish missed the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday due to illness and reportedly missed training on Monday without permission. He returned to training at Everton’s Finch Farm facility but is expected to be fined for the unauthorised absence.
Grealish has 39 caps for England and four international goals. He has not played for the Three Lions since scoring in the 3-1 win over Finland in Helsinki in 2024.
Everton, who haven’t won a major trophy since 1995, managed without him as they swept Newcastle off the pitch and reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
Moyes refused to go into details about the disciplinary breach, but praised the players who were in action on Thursday for not allowing Grealish’s absence to distract them in an important cup match.
“What characterises Everton is that the club has good values at the bottom,” Moyes said.
“All the players stand up for the values on and off the pitch. The players did a brilliant job tonight. We are limited in some areas, but we are doing our best to continue to challenge.
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