Everton omitted England winger Jack Grealish from their squad for Thursday's Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle United following an internal matter. The club confirmed that the 31-year-old was left out "due to a breach of club discipline." While Everton chose not to reveal any further details surrounding the decision, it is understood that the omission occurred after the forward missed a training session.
Grealish is currently on loan at Everton from Premier League rivals Manchester City, having completed his return to the club prior to the closure of the transfer window. The former Aston Villa player, who commanded a £100m transfer fee when moving to City in 2021, has featured six times in total for the Toffees this season. His appearances so far include five outings in the Premier League alongside playing in Everton's Carabao Cup third-round victory over Wolves.
Before rejoining Everton, Grealish was involved in Manchester City's squad during the opening stages of the campaign. The attacker entered the pitch as a substitute during City's 3-0 Community Shield defeat against Arsenal at Wembley in August. He was also utilized from the bench during City's 2-1 victory over Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the Premier League schedule.
This campaign represents a familiar setting for Grealish, who spent a large chunk of last season with Everton under a similar loan arrangement. Throughout that spell, he made 20 appearances, scoring twice and providing six assists, before his campaign was cut short by a season-ending foot injury suffered in January. His latest absence removes him from cup contention following his six outings across league and cup competitions since returning to the club.