Jack Grealish in pre-match training with David Moyes on sideline left inset
Jack Grealish in pre-match training with David Moyes on sideline left inset
Jack Grealish could find himself forced out of Everton as he faces a battle to return to the first-team squad after recent events.
The 31-year-old has been left out of David Moyes' last three matchday squads after a breach of club discipline, believed to be based on his failure to report for training.
While the manager has publicly left the door open for his return to action, there are doubts behind the scenes about whether the wide midfielder still has a role to play.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Grealish has "shown his true colours" and will struggle to earn Moyes' trust again in the near future.
Despite being tipped for a strong season at the Hill Dickinson Stadium after returning on loan following last season's injury disappointment, the midfielder has been a let down.
Even before his diciplinary breach, Grealish was facing questions about his role in the Everton side, and is now becoming increasingly unlikely to return to Moyes' plans.
Could Everton terminate Jack Grealish's deal?
Football Insider revealed on 5 November that Everton could terminate Grealish's loan deal and send him back to Man City when the January transfer window opens.
The midfielder was seen as surplus to requirements at the Etihad during the summer, and is out of contract at the end of the season, with no return expected at first.
However, he could be forced out of Everton sooner than anybody expected, and while terminating his loan would be a drastic measure, it has not been ruled out.
"Everton have a real problem on their hands now with Jack Grealish," Brown told Football Insider.
"They really like him there, they worked hard in the summer to bring him back from Man City because of what he did for them last season, but he's let everybody down.
"Everton gave him a chance last year, he wasn't wanted at Man City but they took a gamble on him and gave him a platform, but now he's shown them his true colours.
"It's going to be hard for him to get back into the team, he has to work his way back and even then, it might not be possible because Moyesey won't be happy at all.
"So in that case, Grealish could be forced out, because there's no role for him to play at Everton, so why would they keep him around?"
What are Grealish's chances of a permanent move?
Before all of the drama unfolded surrounding Grealish's dicipline, he had been hotly tipped to make a permanent move to Everton at the end of the current season.
The England international's contract at Man City is set to expire in June, which will allow him to move as a free agent, with the Hill Dickinson Stadium his likely destination.
However, Football Insider revealed on 8 November that Grealish's time at Everton is all but finished, and there is no chance they will make his loan move permanent now.
His issues away from the football pitch have been well-documented throughout his career and do not seem to have gone away despite turning 31 years old in September.
Moyes and Everton have become frustrated with his antics, and while he may still have a part to play in the side, he is unlikely to stay beyond the current terms of his deal.