Jack Grealish faces a months-long spell on the sidelines after suffering a suspected stress fracture in his foot, a significant setback to his World Cup aspirations. The 30-year-old Everton winger is due to see a specialist this week following the injury, which occurred during Sunday's 1-0 win over former club Aston Villa, a match he played the full 90 minutes.
The injury could keep Grealish out for a number of months, leaving him with little time to impress England manager Thomas Tuchel before the summer tournament in North America. Tuchel has only one more squad announcement planned—for two friendlies in March—before finalising his travelling party for the World Cup.
Grealish has not played for England since Tuchel took charge a year ago, and the competition for places in wide attacking positions is fierce, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Eberechi Eze, and Anthony Gordon in form. The injury makes his return to the national team setup even more difficult, given he could miss a significant portion of the remaining club season.
Everton, who are paying £250,000 of Grealish's £300,000-a-week salary as a loanee from Manchester City, will be keen to have him back as soon as possible as they push for European qualification. The Toffees have 16 Premier League games left after their FA Cup exit earlier this month, and they hold a £50 million option to buy the player.
Despite the setback, Tuchel has previously praised Grealish, saying in October that he sees how influential he is for Everton and that he is on the way to being the best version of himself. Grealish acknowledged the tough competition, telling Sky Sports: "I spoke to the manager and I understand there's a lot of competition... everyone's doing so well. I can't really complain."
