Grealish benched again for Newcastle trip as fitness concerns mount

Jack Grealish has been omitted from the Everton squad for a third successive game, missing the Premier League clash against Newcastle at St James’ Park. The Guardian reported ^[1] that the 31-year-old playmaker remained on Merseyside to work on his fitness at Finch Farm, having been dropped from the Carabao Cup victory last week for disciplinary reasons.

According to the BBC ^[3], Everton manager David Moyes confirmed that Grealish is unavailable for the Monday night fixture, though he insisted there is a "way back" for the England international at the club. The Mirror noted ^[2] that Grealish had previously missed training without permission in the buildup to the Carabao Cup win, a breach of club discipline that led to his initial exclusion.

Everton’s hierarchy made the decision to leave Grealish out, with Moyes refusing to provide specific details at the time. "You probably know I'm not going to give any details," Moyes told reporters according to the Mirror ^[2]. "It's a club decision, it's something I don't want to speak too much about."

The Independent highlighted ^[4] that it remains unconfirmed whether the current absence is due solely to fitness or an extension of the disciplinary punishment. The Athletic reported that Grealish has not regained full fitness since his last appearance on October 17, as cited by the Mirror ^[2].

Grealish, who joined Everton on a second loan spell from Manchester City this summer, is out of contract at the Etihad at the end of the season. The BBC reported ^[3] that City originally paid a British-record £100 million to sign him from Aston Villa, but he fell out of favour and made only six appearances for Everton before this latest setback.

Moyes remained coy when pressed on the nature of the issue. "He's unavailable at the moment and we will make a decision with the club when we think that availability comes back," the manager told BBC Sport ^[3]. He added that he could not comment on whether the disciplinary issue was resolved.

Everton travel to Newcastle sitting one point behind the hosts, with a win potentially lifting them into the top half of the table. The team’s focus, according to the Mirror ^[2], is maintaining club values, with players praised for not allowing the off-field drama to become a distraction. Grealish is now in limbo as the club decides when, or if, he will be recalled for the upcoming match against Coventry.