Everton drop Jack Grealish from Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle over a breach of club discipline

Club discipline cited before cup tie

Everton left Jack Grealish out of their Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle on Thursday, 29 October, saying he was unavailable because of a breach of the club's disciplinary code. The club gave no further details. The Press Association understands the breach relates to an unauthorised absence from training, and the BBC reports it is believed he missed a training session. The Telegraph reports that the 31-year-old England winger has been dropped from the squad and will be fined by the club.

Fanpage reports that Grealish had been expected to be back in contention for the evening fixture, which makes the club's late notice a sudden change of plan. The announcement itself was made public by Everton, a detail that Italian coverage noted as unusual for a matter of internal discipline.

Loan spell and recent appearances

Grealish is on his second consecutive season-long loan from Manchester City, the club that paid £100m for him in 2021. He returned to Everton on loan on 1 September. Last season he scored twice and provided six assists in 20 appearances before a season-ending foot injury in January, which Fanpage describes as a stress fracture to his left foot.

This season he started Everton's previous three Premier League matches, against Ipswich, Hull and Chelsea. He missed the 2-0 defeat by Arsenal on Saturday, 24 October. The Irish Examiner says that absence was put down to illness, while Fanpage reports it was an injury. Sources also count his appearances differently: the BBC gives five in the Premier League, the Irish Examiner six in total, and Fanpage seven matches without a goal or an assist.

Unclear reason and online speculation

Beyond the training absence reported by the BBC and the Press Association, the reason for the breach has not been confirmed. Fanpage reports that a supporter wrote on social media that the club would not have needed to publicise a sanction, and feared something more serious had happened. Fanpage also reports speculation that the episode could be the final straw for a departure at the end of the season, although no talk of renewal has been reported so far. The club has not confirmed either the supporter's suspicion or the departure speculation.

Cup tie and what follows

Everton are hosting Newcastle for a place in the quarter-finals. Fleetwood are waiting in that round after beating Premier League champions Arsenal on Tuesday, 27 October, according to the Irish Examiner. The reports do not say when Grealish will next be available, and no return date has been given by the club. Grealish's pending return had been expected for the evening fixture, so his absence from the squad removes a player who had started Everton's most recent league matches.