Grealish returns to action with Everton after disciplinary exclusion

Jack Grealish returned to the pitch, participating in Everton's 4-1 victory over Derby County in a friendly match held behind closed doors on Thursday. This marked his first appearance since being omitted from the squad for the match against Newcastle in the EFL Cup last month due to a disciplinary breach within the club.

Jack Grealish, on loan to Everton from Manchester City until the end of the season, has missed the last three matches for the team after the club announced his illness before the match against Arsenal, which ended in a 2-0 defeat. He then missed victories against Newcastle and Coventry in the Premier League.

The Athletic reported that the player was not eligible to participate in those matches, having missed some training sessions and games, noting that Everton was planning to gradually reintegrate him into first-team activities during the international break.

Jack Grealish has returned to Everton's Finch Farm training ground this week after undergoing separate training sessions, aiming to regain his fitness and compete for a spot in the squad for the match against Brentford on November 23, following the resumption of Premier League fixtures.

The friendly match saw the participation of a mix of first-team players and young faces, with several international players absent, including the England trio Jordan Pickford, Jarrod Branthwaite, and James Garner. Christian Nørgaard, who recently joined from Arsenal, also participated, having made only three official appearances as a substitute due to injury.

Nørgaard, Charly Alcaraz, and 16-year-old Jonathan Nsango were among the scorers in Everton's four-goal haul, while Grealish hopes this appearance will give him a chance to return to manager David Moyes' plans for official matches.

Jack Grealish has played five matches in the Premier League since returning to Everton on loan for the second time, but he has not scored any goals or provided any assists, despite the team achieving three consecutive victories in his absence.