Everton manager David Moyes has confirmed that Jack Grealish was omitted from the squad for Thursday’s EFL Cup victory over Newcastle United due to a breach of club discipline. The 31-year-old winger, currently on loan from Manchester City, was absent from the team’s 3-1 win at Hill Dickinson Stadium, a result that secured a quarter-final spot against League Two side Fleetwood Town.
While the club stopped short of providing explicit details regarding the incident, the disciplinary action is understood to stem from Grealish missing a training session on Monday without permission. The midfielder had also been sidelined for the previous Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Arsenal, with the club initially citing illness. He came on as a substitute during City’s 3-0 Community Shield defeat by Arsenal at Wembley in August.
Addressing the matter after the match, Moyes stated, “You probably know I’m not going to give any details.
It’s a club decision, it’s something I don’t want to speak too much about.
The manager emphasized his support for the decision, noting that Everton is a club built on strong values. “The one thing about Everton is that it has got good values behind it,” Moyes added. “All the players stand up to the values on pitch and off the pitch. The players did a brilliant job tonight. We are limited in some areas but we are doing our best to keep challenging.” That gave us a good platform to have a longer term conversation with him.
Grealish, who has 39 caps for England and has scored four international goals, last represented the Three Lions in a 3-1 Nations League victory over Finland in 2024. Following a stint at Everton last season where he contributed two goals and six assists in 20 appearances, he returned to the club before the most recent transfer window closed. He has made five Premier League appearances for the Toffees this campaign, in addition to his outing in the EFL Cup third-round match against Wolves. Scoring twice and providing six assists in 20 appearances, before sustaining a season-ending foot injury in January, grealish spent a large chunk of last season with the Toffees under a similar arrangement. Who cost City £100m in 2021, also featured as a substitute during their 2-1 win over Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, the former Aston Villa player. Pre-match, post-match and topical Toffees content.
Despite his recent progress, the midfielder’s career at Everton now faces uncertainty. Grealish is in the final year of his contract with Manchester City, reportedly worth £300,000 per week, having been allowed to depart Pep Guardiola’s side on a season-long loan after falling out of favor. Although he performed well during his initial loan spell—earning a player-of-the-month award last August—the current disciplinary breach has sparked questions about his long-term future under Moyes.
Everton officials have previously acknowledged the positive impact Grealish had on the team. Chief executive Angus Kinnear remarked in August that the player had clearly “fallen in love with the right shade of blue” and was embraced by supporters. However, the immediate focus remains on squad discipline, with Grealish expected to face a fine for his unauthorised absence following his return to the Finch Farm training complex.
When asked if Grealish would be available for the upcoming Premier League fixture against Newcastle on Monday, Moyes remained non-committal, stating, “I wouldn’t give any team news away.” The club, which has not lifted a major trophy since 1995, continues its campaign with a thin squad, increasing the pressure on all senior players to maintain professional standards.
