Everton left Jack Grealish out of their squad for Thursday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round match against Newcastle United after confirming that the midfielder had breached the club’s disciplinary rules.
The club announced that the England international was unavailable for selection because of a breach of club discipline ahead of the fixture.
Sky Sports reported on Thursday, October 29, that Grealish had reportedly missed a training session in the build-up to the match The broadcaster’s reporter, Keith Downie, said his understanding was that the player had failed to attend a scheduled training session.
Everton Take Disciplinary Action
Although Everton confirmed the disciplinary breach, the club did not publicly provide a detailed explanation of the incident.
The Guardian reported that Grealish was understood to have missed Monday’s training session without permission The report added that manager David Moyes and chief executive Angus Kinnear were involved in the decision to leave him out.
Grealish had also missed Everton’s previous Premier League match against Arsenal because of illness. However, the disciplinary issue surrounding the Newcastle fixture was a separate matter.
Grealish returned to training at Everton’s Finch Farm complex but is expected to be fined for his unauthorised absence, according to the BBC
Moyes Backs Club Decision
Following Everton’s 3-1 victory over Newcastle, Moyes declined to discuss the details of the disciplinary matter but said he supported the club’s decision.
“It was a club decision. I support the decision. It’s something I don’t really want to speak too much about,” Moyes said. “The club are the people you should go to if you’re looking for more information.”
Moyes also praised his players for their response in Grealish’s absence, saying the squad had “really good values” and had “done a brilliant job tonight.”
Questions Remain Over His Future
Grealish joined Everton from Manchester City on a season-long loan during the summer and had featured regularly for the club before the incident. He has made six appearances for the Toffees this season.
The winger subsequently returned to training, although the club had not publicly confirmed the full details of any punishment or his availability for the next fixture.
The incident presents an interruption to Grealish’s attempt to rebuild his form and maintain regular playing time during his loan spell at Everton. The 31-year-old is in the final year of his contract at Manchester City and will become a free agent at the end of the season.
Everton’s 3-1 win, secured through goals from James Garner, Hayden Hackney and Thierno Barry, set up a quarter-final tie against Fleetwood Town in December.
