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Football Insider

Heartbreak for Jack Grealish: Everton Loanee's Season Likely Over

Jack Grealish's loan spell at Everton has been cut short due to a foot injury, potentially ruling him out for the rest of the season and jeopardizing his World Cup aspirations. Everton manager David Moyes confirms the need for surgery on the Manchester City-owned player's foot, leading to a lengthy rehabilitation period.

Heartbreak for Jack Grealish: Everton Loanee's Season Likely Over

Jack Grealish has seen injury heartache bring his loan spell at Everton to a premature conclusion, while potentially dashing his World Cup dreams, with David Moyes admitting that the England international is likely to miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his foot. The Manchester City-owned forward is likely to require an operation, with a lengthy rehabilitation programme being worked through after that.Grealish enjoyed a productive start to his stint with the Toffees, having been allowed to leave the Etihad Stadium by Pep Guardiola. He registered four assists across his first two starts and was named Premier League Player of the Month for August. With that award being picked up in the week of his 30th birthday.He netted a stoppage-time winner for Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium against Crystal Palace and grabbed the decisive goal in the Toffees’ first Premier League victory at Bournemouth. He has played 19 goals in total, but an outing against former club Aston Villa on January 18 looks like being his last - at least for now.Asked for an update on Grealish’s condition heading into a clash with Brighton on Saturday, Everton boss Moyes told reporters: “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.”There has been talk of Everton wanting to trigger the purchase option in Grealish’s loan agreement, which is said to sit at around the £50 million ($69m) mark, but Moyes is giving little away. Asked if it is too early to make such decisions, the Scot said: “Far too early.”Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!While refusing to be drawn on Grealish’s future, Moyes admits that Everton are continuing to scour the January market for further additions - with another transfer deadline fast approaching.He said when quizzed on recruitment plans: “I'd like to say we're out there looking, which I think I've said in every press conference. We're out there looking. It's not that we're shying away from it. I would say it's probably less than likely than likely…“(In) January you can find players, it's not to say you can't, but I think we're seeing this window becoming quite a difficult one for a lot of teams.”Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingEverton have been short on goals this season, and losing Grealish’s creativity will do little to aid that cause. Thierno Barry has started to come good of late, scoring four in his last six having required 17 games to open his goal account, and Moyes is hoping to find more of a spark in the final third.He believes 23-year-old Barry can provide that in time, saying of his favoured No.9: “He has to keep progressing, but how he's playing at the moment wouldn't be enough to satisfy me. He'll have to play much better, score more goals.“He needs to keep improving, but he has stepped up and scored a lot of important goals for us. Goals that won us a game at Aston Villa, for example. And a goal last week that got us a point (against Leeds).”Another body that could be sticking around to help the collective cause is Harrison Armstrong, with the 19-year-old having been recalled from a loan spell at Preston to help cover enforced absences.Asked if the youngster will be retained for the rest of the season, Moyes said: “We won't make a decision until certainly after Brighton. I'm in regular contact with Peter Ridsdale and Paul Heckingbottom at Preston - I'm on the phone to them every couple of days about it, but we'll wait and see how things go. He's not looked out of place in the Premier League. That's the biggest compliment I could give Harrison.”

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Grealish's Impact at Everton

Jack Grealish made an impressive start at Everton, contributing significantly with four assists in his initial appearances. His standout performances earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award for August, coincidentally during his 30th birthday week. He scored crucial goals for Everton, displaying his quality and experience.

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Injury Blow and Surgery Decision

Unfortunately, Grealish's season took a turn for the worse with a stress fracture in his foot, likely necessitating surgery. David Moyes acknowledged the setback, expressing disappointment over losing a key player. The decision to undergo surgery could end Grealish's season prematurely.

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Future Uncertainty and Transfer Speculation

Speculation surrounds Grealish's future at Everton, with talks of triggering a purchase option in his loan deal. Moyes remains tight-lipped about long-term decisions, focusing on the current transfer window. Everton is exploring options to bolster their attacking prowess and compensate for Grealish's absence.

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Promising Talents Stepping Up

With Grealish sidelined, young talents like Thierno Barry and Harrison Armstrong have an opportunity to shine. Barry's recent goal-scoring form provides optimism, while Armstrong's return from loan presents a chance to make an impact. Moyes is optimistic about their contributions to Everton's campaign.

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Recruitment Plans and Challenges Ahead

As Everton searches for reinforcements in the January transfer market, Moyes emphasizes the need for attacking improvements. The team faces challenges in finding suitable additions during a tough window, but remains proactive in scouting potential signings. The focus is on finding solutions to maintain competitiveness.

Published on Jan 30, 2026