Grealish axed from Everton squad for breaching club discipline after missing training

Jack Grealish has been excluded from Everton’s Carabao Cup fourth-round squad for Thursday’s home tie against Newcastle at Hill Dickinson Stadium after the club confirmed he was absent due to “a breach of Club discipline.”

Everton’s pre-match statement made clear the omission was not injury-related, reading: “Jarrad Branthwaite remains sidelined for a second successive game due to concussion protocols, while Jack Grealish is unavailable for selection due to a breach of Club discipline.” The club has not publicly detailed the nature of the breach, but the Liverpool Echo reports that the Manchester City loanee failed to report for a training session after missing Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League defeat away to Arsenal through illness.

The timing is particularly notable given that the Carabao Cup tie had appeared to offer Grealish a timely opportunity to build match sharpness. The 29-year-old missed large portions of last season with injury and has had limited game time since returning, having come off the bench for just 15 minutes in the Community Shield with no pre-season football behind him.

Manager David Moyes had spoken publicly in recent weeks about his expectations of the winger, framing him as a potential senior figure in the dressing room. “I think Jack knows what I expect now,” Moyes said. “He knows when he comes here there is an opportunity for him to play and to show what he can do. But I also want him to be a senior professional and a role model.”

Moyes had also pointed to Grealish’s influence on younger wide players at the club. “We’ve got Tyrique and Tyler and if ever you are looking at somebody for how to play as a wide player, Jack Grealish would certainly be one of them,” he said. “I think both of them could learn an awful lot from Jack and I want him to become that senior citizen amongst them, somebody who teaches them.”

The Everton head coach had previously expressed confidence in Grealish’s maturity and ability to handle expectation. “If there is one person who would be able to carry that, it would be Jack, just because of the way he is,” Moyes said. “He will find it easy to carry expectation and he’ll be happy to do so. That’s his character.”

Everton are yet to confirm whether Grealish faces any further consequences beyond his omission from the matchday squad.