Everton manager David Moyes has been advised to offer Jack Grealish support after the winger missed the last three games in all competitions following a breach of club discipline.
Grealish, who re-joined the Toffees on loan from Manchester City in September, missed the Premier League match against Arsenal last month through illness. He was then left out of Moyes' squad for the Carabao Cup win over Newcastle United for disciplinary reasons, with the ECHO understanding this was because he did not attend a scheduled training session.
Exclusion and talks with City
The forward was again absent from the travelling squad for Monday night's Premier League win over the Magpies. On that occasion, the club said his exclusion was due to not being match fit.
When Grealish could return to the squad remains unclear, with the club in talks with parent club City as part of the disciplinary process. Moyes will have to manage the situation and has been told how to handle it.
Pundits back Moyes approach
Speaking on talkSPORT, presenter Alan Brazil said: "I think Jack just needs an arm around him now and again, someone to say, 'Hey, come on, don't go off the rails, I need you.'"
Former Premier League manager Neil Warnock agreed: "He does, but I think David is that type of manager. I think David will have had that chat with him. I think Jack needs David more than David needs Jack at the minute. He should knuckle down now and not look for publicity like this."
Speaking about the situation on Monday night, Moyes simply said: "He is not available at the moment." When asked if the situation is repairable, he said: "Of course, yeah."
Former teammate backs recovery
Former Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton, who played alongside Grealish at Villa Park, has backed Moyes to help him return to his best. He said: "Listen, I've trained with Jack Grealish daily and played alongside him. He's an outstanding talent. Yes, he's had his issues along the way, but I still think the quality is in there. Working with David Moyes will get the best out of him. It's just about getting his head down, working hard, and showing everybody what he's capable of, because the ability hasn't gone away."
Everton are back in action on Friday night when they host newly-promoted Coventry City at Hill Dickinson Stadium. It remains to be seen whether Grealish will be involved.
