David Moyes has revealed that Jack Grealish is ready to make his first Premier League start of the season when Everton travel to face Tottenham this weekend.
The Manchester City winger returned to Everton on a season-long loan deal for the second consecutive campaign, arriving on a difficult Deadline Day for the Toffees after their late attempt to sign Monaco striker Folarin Balogun collapsed.
Grealish was not considered fit enough to start against Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium last weekend, but he made an impact after coming off the bench, playing 25 minutes and showing encouraging signs.
Ahead of Everton’s clash with Tottenham, Moyes confirmed the 31-year-old has now reached a level where he could be included from the beginning as he continues his push to regain his best form.
“I think Jack is a special player. I think he is ready to play, yes,” Moyes said.
“I think Jack is probably someone who needs matches more than training at times. Getting minutes on the pitch helps him. He is still building towards his best level, but he has trained well this week and he is starting to look ready to begin games.”
Moyes added that Everton would be delighted if Grealish can replicate the level of performances he produced early last season.
“It’s really exciting if he can give us what he gave us at the start of last season. If we get that version of Jack, we’ll be absolutely delighted,” the Everton boss said.
Meanwhile, midfielder Christian Norgaard will remain unavailable for the trip to north London, with Moyes not expecting the former Arsenal player to return until after the upcoming international break.
Everton’s frustrating transfer window left the club with only 18 senior players available, although Moyes has admitted he is exploring the free-agent market for potential short-term additions.
Despite the limited squad depth, the Everton manager believes a smaller group can still succeed, pointing to Leicester City’s remarkable Premier League title-winning campaign as an example of how a close-knit squad can overcome limitations.
“I think sometimes having a smaller group can work because of the togetherness it creates,” Moyes explained.
“I mentioned Leicester City winning the league a few years ago. It looked like a small group of players who were able to achieve something incredible.”
Moyes acknowledged that modern football makes squad management more challenging due to the demands of European competition and international fixtures, but he believes Everton’s lack of European commitments could help them cope.
“If I had the choice, I would obviously prefer more options, but I was never looking for 24 or 25 outfield players,” he said.
“I have usually tried to work with around 21 outfield players, sometimes 22. That has always been the number I felt was the right balance.”