Moyes nears managerial milestone as Grealish absence overshadows Coventry build-up

David Moyes is set to equal a landmark for games managed at Everton, with the milestone arriving as his side sit seventh in the Premier League table, according to Sky Sports Football.

A home win over Coventry City would lift Everton above Liverpool and into fifth place, underlining what has been a promising start to the Scot's latest spell in charge.

Moyes's side are also through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, where they will face Fleetwood, giving the club two fronts on which to build momentum this season.

The build-up to the Coventry fixture has been complicated by the continued absence of Jack Grealish, who missed a third consecutive game as Everton beat Newcastle United, Yahoo Sports reported.

Moyes declined to explain the reasoning behind the England international's exclusion, describing him only as "unavailable" when asked by the BBC, via the Mirror.

Asked directly whether the issue was fitness-related, as the club had previously suggested, Moyes said: "All I'm giving out is that he is unavailable at the moment."

When pressed on whether a disciplinary matter was behind the decision, the manager added: "I can't comment on that."

Grealish had already been dropped from the squad for the Carabao Cup fourth-round win over Newcastle because of what the club described as "a breach of club discipline," with Moyes making clear at the time that he backed the call.

His continued absence against Newcastle in the league, despite the club's insistence that fitness was the reason, points to a player who has fallen well down the pecking order under Moyes.

The Everton manager would not commit on whether Grealish might be available for Friday's visit of Coventry, though he insisted there remains "a decision with the club when we think that availability comes back," and that a route back into the side still exists for the winger.

Grealish became British football's first £100 million player when he joined Manchester City from Aston Villa in 2021, and was part of the squad that completed the treble under Pep Guardiola in 2023, though his game time at the Etihad shrank significantly afterwards.

His City contract runs out in the summer, and last season's loan at Everton yielded two goals in 22 appearances before injury cut the spell short.

This term he has made just six appearances for Everton despite performances Yahoo Sports said merited a recall, with his current exile leaving his immediate future unresolved.

Everton's attention now turns to Friday's home game against Coventry City, with Moyes chasing a result that would move his side above Liverpool and into the top five of the Premier League.