MusaEverton have a huge opportunity to strengthen their push for European qualification when they welcome Coventry City in the Premier League on Friday evening. A victory would see David Moyes’ side move level on points with Chelsea in the top four, further highlighting the remarkable progress they have made in recent weeks.
The Toffees head into the encounter on the back of two impressive victories over Newcastle United, first securing a Carabao Cup triumph before following it up with another win at St James’ Park in the Premier League.
Despite an underwhelming summer transfer window, Everton have managed to maintain the togetherness, fighting spirit and strong dressing-room culture that Moyes has worked hard to establish since returning to Merseyside.
However, that harmony has recently suffered a setback following Jack Grealish’s disciplinary problems. The Manchester City loanee is currently unavailable after reportedly missing a training session last week, leaving the Everton manager with another attacking problem to solve.
How Everton have coped without Jack Grealish
Grealish will once again be absent when Everton face Coventry, but the club’s recent performances have demonstrated that they can still deliver positive results without the experienced winger.
The England international returned to Hill Dickinson Stadium on loan for another campaign after making a significant impression during his previous spell on Merseyside.
Last season, Grealish registered two goals and six assists for the Toffees before a foot injury brought his campaign to an early end in January.
His ability to beat defenders, create opportunities and dictate attacking movements from the left flank made him an important figure in Moyes’ plans.
Although his second season has not started as impressively as the first, there is little doubt that Everton are missing his creativity and individual quality.
More concerning, however, is Moyes’ reluctance to provide a clear indication of when the 31-year-old could return to action. The manager’s comments have left questions surrounding the winger’s immediate future at the club.
The upcoming international break could provide an opportunity for Grealish to resolve the situation behind the scenes and convince Moyes that he deserves another opportunity.
With no realistic prospect of featuring for Thomas Tuchel’s England squad at the moment, the winger will have time to work on his fitness and relationship with the Everton coaching staff.
Nevertheless, Everton cannot afford to remain dependent on his availability and must identify alternative attacking options.
How David Moyes can replace Grealish
Replacing Grealish will not be straightforward. His personality, close control, dribbling ability and creativity give Everton an attacking dimension that very few players in the squad can reproduce.
With Iliman Ndiaye now playing his football for Manchester City, the importance of finding another reliable attacking outlet has become even more significant.
Everton need players capable of helping them maintain their impressive momentum and compete for a European qualification position.
One player who deserves a bigger opportunity is Hayden Hackney.
The £16m summer arrival from Middlesbrough might not possess the same playing style as Grealish, but he has plenty of technical quality and the ability to move the ball forward quickly from midfield.
His creativity and willingness to drive Everton into attacking positions could also work particularly well alongside Tyrique George, whose direct dribbling offers another option down the left.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has also taken on greater responsibility, increasingly becoming one of the team’s most influential attacking figures.
Meanwhile, Thierno Barry continues to find the net, although his frustrating tendency to miss clear-cut opportunities remains a concern. The French striker needs consistent service and better creativity from those around him if he is to improve his goalscoring numbers.
Moyes might have limited options because of Everton’s relatively small squad, but there are still ways to improve the team’s attacking performances.
The manager will also be hoping the club’s owners provide sufficient financial backing during the January transfer window, particularly with additional attacking reinforcements becoming increasingly necessary.
Everton must make another attacking decision after Grealish’s suspension
While Grealish’s disciplinary situation has attracted considerable attention, Everton have another attacking concern that Moyes can no longer afford to overlook.
Brennan Johnson has struggled to convince since arriving at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and his performances have raised serious questions about whether he deserves to retain his place in the starting XI.
The Wales international joined Everton during the summer following a disappointing spell at Crystal Palace, with Dwight McNeil moving in the opposite direction as part of the deal.
Johnson arrived with a reputation as a dangerous Premier League attacker, having previously enjoyed a memorable spell at Tottenham Hotspur.
In 2025, he famously scored the winning goal in Tottenham’s Europa League final victory over Manchester United, helping his former club secure a 1-0 triumph. He also finished that calendar year with 17 goals, demonstrating the quality he was capable of producing.
Unfortunately, that impressive goalscoring form has disappeared, with the winger struggling to reproduce the performances that once made him such an exciting attacking prospect.
There is still time for Johnson to turn his Everton career around, but his current performances are becoming increasingly difficult to defend.
Grealish’s absence has made Everton’s need for additional attacking quality even more urgent, particularly as Moyes attempts to keep his side competing for a European place.
Johnson’s contribution in the final third has been particularly disappointing. He has struggled to beat defenders consistently and has offered very little in terms of creativity or attacking productivity.
His statistics make for uncomfortable reading. Across nine Premier League appearances for Everton this season, Johnson has completed just one successful dribble and created only one big chance for his teammates.
He has also struggled to make a consistent impact in individual battles, further limiting his influence on Everton’s attacking play.
Of course, Grealish’s absence needs to be addressed, but Moyes cannot afford to hand the responsibility to just any available attacker.
Everton need someone capable of providing genuine creativity, taking defenders on and creating goalscoring opportunities for Barry and the rest of the forward line.
Sadly, Johnson has yet to demonstrate that he can consistently deliver those qualities.
If Everton are serious about maintaining their push towards the Premier League’s top four, Moyes may have to make another difficult selection decision and remove the struggling winger from his starting plans.
Musa
