On-loan Man City star dropped by Everton after missing training, and David Moyes’ ‘club decision’ reply says plenty

Jack Grealish was a Premier League Player of the Month in his first spell at Everton, but he is now a disciplinary case, and his manager is not rushing to defend him.

The Toffees confirmed before Thursday’s Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle United that the 31-year-old had been left out of the matchday squad because of a disciplinary breach. According to Sky Sports News, he failed to show up for a training session in the build-up to the game.

Everton won 3-1 without him. They will now face League Two side Fleetwood Town, who knocked out Arsenal in the fourth round, in the quarter-finals in mid-December.

What did David Moyes say about Jack Grealish?

Not much, and that is the point. Asked to clear things up after the match, Moyes stayed tight-lipped and pushed the question back towards the club.

He said: “It’s something I don’t really want to speak too much about. It’s a club decision, so I support the decision. The club are the people you should go to if you’re looking for more information.”

Asked whether the winger would be in contention for Monday’s Premier League rematch at St James’ Park, he replied: “I’d never give any team news away.”

Moyes preferred to talk up the standards inside the building: “The one thing about Everton is that they have got real good values, all the players stand behind it and accept the values, on the pitch and off the pitch.”

Jack Grealish’s Everton form was already fading

This has not come out of a clear blue sky. Grealish has no goals and no assists in eight appearances this season, a long way from the winger who became an instant favourite on his first arrival at the club.

He missed the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal last Saturday through illness, having started the previous three league games. Then came Thursday. Elsewhere in the squad, younger players are pushing, with Hayden Hackney’s patience under Moyes already a talking point at the club.

Could Jack Grealish’s Everton loan end in January?

Grealish is on a second season-long loan from Manchester City, where his reported £300,000-a-week contract runs out in June 2027.

The January window is not far away, and Everton may consider cutting the deal short if the form and the discipline do not improve. It would be a big call for a manager with a small senior squad after an underwhelming summer of recruitment, but the club have already been linked with a January move for Marcus Rashford, so the wide spots are clearly on their mind.

Verdict: Grealish has to earn his way back at Everton

Moyes usually backs his players in public, so “it’s a club decision” reads like a line in the sand. We would not call this the final chapter yet, because a small squad needs every body it has. But Grealish now has to show up, literally, and produce. Eight games without a goal or an assist leaves him very little credit to spend.