Everton sink Newcastle 3-1 as Grealish dropped for discipline breach

Everton reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Thursday, but the story of the night centred as much on who David Moyes left out as who he sent on.

Jack Grealish was omitted from the matchday squad entirely, with Everton confirming on social media that the Manchester City loanee was "unavailable for selection due to a breach of Club discipline," according to Yahoo Sports.

Jarrad Branthwaite was also absent, Everton saying the defender "remains sidelined for a second successive game due to concussion protocols."

talkSPORT reported that Grealish's exclusion followed an unauthorised absence from a recent Everton training session, Yahoo Sports noted.

The winger had already missed last weekend's 2-0 Premier League defeat to Arsenal, though club officials put that absence down to illness at the time.

Since rejoining the Merseyside club late in the summer window, Grealish had been a regular part of Moyes' plans, starting three league matches and coming off the bench twice, while also playing 77 minutes in last month's third-round Carabao Cup win over Wolves.

His path back to Everton had already been eventful. Grealish joined Manchester City from Aston Villa for £100 million in 2021 and first moved to Everton on loan last season, registering two goals and six assists in 20 appearances before a season-ending foot injury in January ended that spell early.

He returned to his parent club over the summer, appearing from the bench in City's 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal at Wembley and in their 2-1 opening-weekend league win over Bournemouth, before completing a second temporary switch to Everton ahead of the transfer deadline.

On the pitch, Everton's progress was comfortable enough. Goals from James Garner, Hayden Hackney and Thierno Barry put the game beyond Newcastle before Dan Burn's late header merely trimmed the margin, Sky Sports Football reported.

The win extends what Guardian Football's live coverage of the tie, written by Scott Murray, described as the first stirring of a cup run at Everton in some time, with the club still waiting for a first major trophy since 1995.

Newcastle, by contrast, arrived as holders of the 2025 League Cup, and their exit means that quest for another trophy inside three years will have to wait.

Moyes' side now have a kind draw in the last eight. Everton will travel to face League Two outfit Fleetwood Town, who knocked out Arsenal on penalties to reach the quarter-finals, Yahoo Sports reported.

Grealish's immediate focus switches away from Fleetwood and back to regaining his manager's trust before Everton's next Premier League fixture, with the nature of his training-ground absence still to be fully explained by the club.