Jack Grealish dropped from Everton squad after disciplinary breach during Carabao Cup win
Jack Grealish was omitted from Everton’s squad for Thursday’s Carabao Cup win against Newcastle after missing training on Monday, the club saying there had been “a breach of club discipline”; the 31-year-old is on loan from Manchester City. Everton made the absence public and manager David Moyes described the situation tersely.
Three years earlier Grealish had been a starter for Manchester City in their Champions League triumph against Inter, playing the full 90 minutes while Phil Foden, Julián Álvarez and Riyad Mahrez were on the bench, a selection the report said reflected Pep Guardiola’s faith. That trust subsided amid injuries and limited opportunities: Grealish made 17 Premier League starts across the following two seasons under Guardiola and City sought to move him on in the summer of 2025, leading to a loan to Everton that was extended into the current campaign.
The player’s off-field record was cited as part of the context for his current predicament, with previous incidents including breaking lockdown rules, a driving ban and repeated pictures of him inebriated. Guardiola previously disciplined him in 2021 when Grealish and Foden arrived at training “worse for wear,” and the article notes that Grealish has acknowledged his own mistakes, telling Sky Sports last year: “People go: ‘He likes to go out, he likes to party,’ and I do. I want to be able to live my life and enjoy myself but obviously there’s a time and a place to do that. Sometimes, I’ll be honest with you, I probably haven’t picked the right times.”
His on-field form at Everton showed early promise last season, with wins against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth by early December and six assists in 20 Premier League appearances before a foot injury ended his campaign in mid-January. The piece records his broader availability issues, noting he has not played more than 28 league games in a season since 2019-20 at Aston Villa.
Everton had reservations about re-signing Grealish but the sale of Iliman Ndiaye to City made taking him back a pragmatic option, the article says. He completed pre-season under new manager Enzo Maresca, who selected him for the Community Shield and the opening-day match against Bournemouth; Maresca is quoted as saying: “I still think that he’s a good boy, big heart.”
At his best Grealish is described as an accomplished dribbler who can create and take scoring chances and draw fouls, producing moments that energise supporters, yet those instances have been intermittent. The report also highlights his popularity with fans, saying he is approachable, spends extra time signing autographs, embraces selfies when entering and leaving Hill Dickinson Stadium and carries a personal touch in charity work, while citing his own remark: “With me, I’m a big confidence player – I want to feel loved.”
The article concludes that the coming months carry significant weight for Grealish’s future: it states “The next seven months are crucial to Grealish’s career” and reminds that “Grealish’s contract at City concludes at the end of the season.” It adds that Moyes “was terse on the subject of Grealish on Thursday and seems unlikely to recommend keeping him beyond his loan,” and that losing a senior player for avoidable reasons will frustrate a manager operating with a small squad.