Moyes weighs up Grealish call as Everton prepare for second Newcastle test
Everton's trip to Newcastle United in the Premier League is fast becoming a repeat fixture, and the big talking point is what David Moyes does with Jack Grealish after the Carabao Cup win over the same opponents.
Read Everton previewed the Carabao Cup fourth-round tie by looking at the predicted XI and the decisions facing Moyes, noting that wholesale changes looked unlikely given Everton's small squad (Read Everton). That cup tie has since been played, with the Liverpool Echo reporting that Everton beat Newcastle to reach the quarter-finals, and that Moyes was asked afterwards about Grealish's absence from the squad, making a point about Everton's values in his response (Liverpool Echo).
Attention has now turned to the return trip to Newcastle in the Premier League, with the Liverpool Echo again flagging a "huge" decision for Moyes over Grealish as he considers changes to his starting eleven for Monday night (Liverpool Echo). Everton's official site, EvertonFC.com, focuses on another key issue for that game, giving a fitness update on Jarrad Branthwaite ahead of what it calls the "second Newcastle clash" (EvertonFC.com) - a detail echoed by the Liverpool Echo's own piece on Branthwaite's fitness (Liverpool Echo).
Between them, the four sources paint a picture of a squad being carefully managed through a quick turnaround against the same opposition. The cup win looks to have been earned despite the limited options at Moyes' disposal, and with Branthwaite's fitness clearly a point of focus heading into the league fixture, Evertonians will be hoping he's available for selection at St James' Park.
The Grealish situation remains the other thread running through all this. Having left him out for the cup success, Moyes now faces the same call for a tougher league assignment, and how he explains and resolves it will be of real interest to supporters following the build-up to Monday's game.
Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
