A summer switch to Everton appears to have given Jack Grealish the platform needed to reignite his career.
The mercurial winger racked up four assists over his first two starts for the Toffees and added his first goal for the club in the 2–1 win over Crystal Palace before the international break, helping to maintain Everton’s impressive start to the season.
Unfortunately for Grealish, his impressive form has been temporarily halted as he will not feature for Everton in Saturday’s game against Manchester City.
Why Jack Grealish Isn’t Playing Against Man City
Grealish’s time with Everton is a simple loan from Manchester City and, according to Premier League rules, loan players are not permitted to face their parent clubs.
It means Grealish will have to watch Saturday’s game from the stands before hopefully returning to the lineup next weekend when Everton host Tottenham Hotspur.
Rules about loan players are complex across English football. While players are forbidden from facing their parent clubs in both the Premier League and FA Cup, regulations in the Carabao Cup are different and teams can reach an agreement over whether a loan player is free to play.
Everton have already been eliminated from the Carabao Cup, however, after a 2–0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Therefore, there will be no opportunity for Grealish to line up for Everton against City this season.
In the Champions League, loan players are completely free to face their parent clubs, with UEFA ruling there can be no restrictions on team selections.
While Champions League rules do not impact Grealish and Everton, City may face this scenario later in the season if they are drawn against Serie A side Inter, where centre back Manuel Akanji is enjoying a loan away from Pep Guardiola’s side.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Is Jack Grealish Not Playing for Everton vs. Man City?.