Grealish omitted from Everton squad for Carabao Cup tie after 'breach of club discipline'

Jack Grealish was left out of Everton's squad for their Carabao Cup tie at home to Newcastle United, with the club publicly citing "a breach of club discipline", the club announced on 30 October 2026. Everton went on to beat Newcastle 3-1 to reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals without the 31-year-old.

Grealish returned to Everton this summer in a high-profile move, arriving at Finch Farm in a white Lamborghini shortly before the transfer deadline after a previous loan at the club had been curtailed by a serious foot injury. His return generated clear excitement among supporters and was framed as important both for manager David Moyes, who had been left with only 18 senior players after a difficult transfer window, and for Grealish, whose exile from Manchester City at the start of the final year of his contract left him needing regular football.

Everton described Grealish's omission before the Newcastle game as "a breach of club discipline", specifically citing a failure to turn up for training on Monday. The club's decision to go public with the reasons for his absence underlined the seriousness attached to the incident, and those at Everton have held talks with Grealish about ensuring there is no repeat of the behaviour.

Moyes, who has formed a close relationship with Grealish since August 2025, declined to give details after the match, saying: "You probably know I'm not going to give any details. It's a club decision and I support it. It's something I don't want to speak too much about." He added: "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, and I think the players did a good job. It is a small squad, but we are doing our best to keep challenging. We are not accepting any excuses for anything and I think the players are doing a great job. There was a humility about us." Grealish has said of his move: "As soon as I spoke to the manager, I knew there was only one place that I wanted to go and that was Everton."

The incident places additional pressure on a player who was Britain's first £100m footballer when he signed for Manchester City from Aston Villa in summer 2021 and who played a role in City's Treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 2023. His season at Everton was ended early by a foot fracture sustained in Everton's 1-0 win at his former club Aston Villa in January, and after that injury he chose to continue rehabilitation at Finch Farm rather than return to the Etihad Stadium.

Everton advanced to the quarter-final stage with a 3-1 win over Newcastle and will face League Two Fleetwood Town, who had previously eliminated Arsenal, in the next round. The victory featured 20-year-old Tyrique George operating on the left flank in a more dynamic role that Grealish might otherwise have occupied; Everton's internal view is that this week's misdemeanour does not automatically represent a final warning, though it has increased scrutiny on the forward.

Grealish's form this season has been described as underwhelming, with no goals or assists in eight appearances, two of which came for Manchester City before his return to Everton, and an apparent tendency to slow play at odds with the tempo Moyes prefers. He missed Saturday's loss at Arsenal through "illness" and is seen as part of a thin squad that cannot afford ill-discipline; within the club he remains well liked, having been called "a lad with a heart of gold, kind and charming, who actually loves being here".

Off the pitch, Grealish recently donated £10,000 to a GoFundMe page for Everton fan Leon Skapars, 36, who has cancer; Skapars' wife Crystal said: "In that moment, Jack gave our whole family something we desperately needed, hope. What he has done for our family is something we will never forget. It makes us feel incredibly emotional." He also presented awards at the Daily Mirror's 'Pride Of Britain' event, saying: "Footballers are classed as heroes - but these are the real heroes." His past controversies recorded in the public record include being pictured asleep at a Manchester rooftop bar in April, a March 2020 fine and apology after breaching lockdown guidelines while at Aston Villa, and admitting two counts of careless driving in November 2020 relating to incidents that damaged a Citroen van and a Mercedes.

The club says the disciplinary decision was taken at high level with Moyes's input and support, and Grealish has been told there must be no repeat; he now faces the task of restoring his standing while Everton prepare for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against League Two Fleetwood Town.