Jack Grealish's season at Everton is likely to be over after the on-loan Manchester City star suffered a stress fracture in his foot
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 13: Jack Grealish of Everton during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge on December 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images)
Jack Grealish, the Manchester City midfielder who has starred on loan at Everton this season, is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines(Image: Robin Jones/Getty Images)
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Jack Grealish’s devastating injury will have serious implications for Everton - on and off the pitch. The 30-year-old looks set to require surgery on the stress fracture suffered to his foot.
It is a procedure that would rule him out for the rest of the season and wreck a campaign that had seen him rekindle his love for football.
The blow has hit David Moyes and his squad hard given the impact Grealish had on a team that has built a platform for an assault on Europe after a promising season to date.
And it is a double setback for Everton given there is no option to terminate the star’s loan deal with Manchester City early - meaning they will carry on paying his wages until the summer.
That means the Blues will continue to cover a significant portion of his salary, potentially costing the club around £1m-a-month even while he is sidelined.
It also means Grealish may have played his final game for Everton, though manager Moyes has previously said he was open to signing him in the summer depending on the terms available, the demands of the player and whether he would be open to joining the club.
The Blues do have an option to make the move permanent for around £50m but there has always been a belief Man City would be open to negotiation over a player who has fallen even lower down Pep Guardiola’s pecking order following the arrival of Antoine Semenyo at the Etihad this month.
While the finances behind Grealish’s injury will be a source of frustration on Merseyside, it is on the pitch where his loss will be felt most keenly.
The England international was a marquee signing who inspired belief in a side that had spent recent years battling relegation.
His presence had been hailed as key to Everton's reversal of fortunes in a season that has seen landmark wins at Manchester United and, in Grealish’s last game, against his old side Aston Villa.
Speaking on Friday, ahead of Everton’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon (Saturday), Moyes said: “We believe he’s probably going to need surgery but that’s still not absolutely confirmed, but it probably rules him out for the rest of the season, yes.
“Look, it’s really disappointing for the player, the club, for all of us here. He’s such an important part and he’s a big character with big experience for us and we’ll miss him, he’s done a lot of really good things for us.”
Moyes said he was not expecting new signings before the end of the January transfer window but stressed the club was open to business.
He added: “I would like to improve. I don't want to miss any opportunity where I can improve... And I get that we've got to remember that we're just out of financial problems.
“So, if anybody's thinking that we are out there going to spend £40m on someone, we're not in that place at the moment - that is not to say we couldn't do it this summer.
“But I don't think we're really in a place to do that. So we need to try and find where we can and where we can't, but if I had my way, I think we need to, and obviously losing Jack Grealish is a big blow to us regarding what we've got.
“It just limits our attacking options.”