Jack Grealish Axed by Everton for Training Breach as Moyes Demands Standards
Jack Grealish was omitted from Everton's Carabao Cup squad to face Newcastle United after failing to turn up for training on Monday, a breach of club discipline that leaves the 31-year-old at a defining crossroads in his Everton career.
- Match: Everton vs Newcastle United, Carabao Cup
- Result: Everton won 3-1 to reach the quarter-finals
- Key absence: Jack Grealish (breach of club discipline — missed Monday training)
- Standout replacement: Tyrique George, 20, impressed on the left flank
- Next round: Away at League Two Fleetwood Town
- Manager: David Moyes, who said the decision had his full support
What was said
"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."
"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."
Moyes's words were not aimed directly at Grealish, but the implication was unmistakable. The Everton manager had been left with only 18 senior players after a botched transfer window and could ill afford a key man ruling himself out through needless indiscipline.
The public nature of Everton's statement before kick-off underlined how seriously the club viewed the transgression. Grealish has since held talks with those in authority at Everton, where it has been made clear there must be no repeat.
The numbers
- 3-1: Everton's scoreline against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup
- 8: Grealish appearances this season, including two for Manchester City before his return to Everton
- 0: Goals and assists for Grealish in those eight games
- £100m: Fee Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Grealish in summer 2021, making him Britain's first £100m footballer
- £10,000: Grealish's recent donation to a GoFundMe page for Everton fan Leon Skapars
- 31: Grealish's age
Injury and availability
Grealish missed Everton's Premier League defeat at Arsenal on Saturday through illness, according to the source. He then failed to report for training on Monday, which led to his exclusion from the Newcastle squad. There is no suggestion of a new injury. Everton's squad remains thin, with Moyes confirming he has limited options.
Why Moyes cannot afford to exile Grealish
Everton's 3-1 win over Newcastle was arguably their best performance of the season, and it came with Tyrique George, 20, operating on the left flank — the role Grealish might have occupied. George's dynamism gave Moyes a glimpse of life without his most naturally gifted attacker, but the squad is too small for the manager to make a quick outcast of a potential game-changer.
Grealish's form this season has been underwhelming: no goals and no assists in eight appearances, and a tendency to slow play down that sits at odds with the tempo Moyes demands. Yet the Everton manager has backed him before, and the pair formed a close relationship from virtually their first contact in August 2025, when Grealish said: "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 fall-out comes at a delicate moment. Everton's owners, The Friedkin Group, appeared to back away from serious squad strengthening as they prepared to put the club up for sale, leaving Moyes with a paper-thin group. Grealish, a Treble winner with Manchester City in 2023, remains a popular figure in the dressing room and around the club — described as "a lad with a heart of gold, kind and charming, who actually loves being here" — but popularity does not shield a player from a strict disciplinarian like Moyes.
Talking points
- Should Everton have gone public with the reason for Grealish's absence before kick-off, or kept it in-house to protect a valuable asset?
- Does Tyrique George's impressive display on the left give Moyes a genuine reason to leave Grealish out even after he is available again?
- Is missing training once enough to question Grealish's commitment, given his previous time-keeping issues and off-field headlines?
- With a quarter-final at Fleetwood Town to come, can Everton's small squad cope if Moyes decides to make an example of Grealish?
What happens next
Grealish must attempt to be rehabilitated back into the squad, starting with training ahead of Everton's next fixture. The Carabao Cup quarter-final at League Two Fleetwood Town — conquerors of Premier League champions Arsenal in the last round — offers Moyes a chance to rotate, but the manager's priority will be restoring discipline. Grealish's contract at Manchester City enters its final year, and failure at Everton would mark a downward spiral from the top echelons of the Premier League.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Jack Grealish dropped for Everton vs Newcastle?
Grealish was excluded from Everton's squad for the Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle United after a breach of club discipline, specifically a failure to turn up for training on Monday.
Did Everton win without Jack Grealish?
Yes. Everton beat Newcastle United 3-1 to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, with 20-year-old Tyrique George impressing on the left flank.
What did David Moyes say about Jack Grealish's omission?
Moyes said: "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."
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