Everton team news: Update on “special” Jack Grealish, Christian Norgaard ahead of Tottenham trip

David Moyes has confirmed that Jack Grealish is ready to start for Everton ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur in North London.

Grealish re-joined the Toffees on a season-long loan deal from Manchester City on Transfer Deadline Day and impressed as a substitute in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United.

The 30-year-old winger also made a notable impression during his first loan spell under Moyes in 2025-26, before his time on Merseyside was cut short by a season-ending foot injury sustained in January.

Grealish, who had a full pre-season with Man City over the summer, has not taken long to get up to full speed in a darker shade of blue, and Moyes could hand the Englishman his first start of the campaign against Spurs.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Moyes said: "I think Jack is special – I think he is ready to play, yes. I think Jack is probably a boy who needs the football [matches] more than he needs the training sometimes.

"I think game time helps Jack. In ways, that's him still building up to his best but, I've got to say, he's had a good week of training and he's beginning to look ready to start."

A start for Grealish on Saturday could therefore see either Tyrique George - who scored against Man United - or ex-Spurs man Brennan Johnson drop down to the substitutes’ bench.

Meanwhile, Moyes has delivered a fresh update on the fitness of summer signing Christian Norgaard, who is yet to make his Everton debut since joining from Arsenal.

The 31-year-old midfielder arrived at the Hill Dickinson Stadium with a groin injury and his recovery has taken longer than expected, forcing him to miss Everton’s opening four games in all competitions.

"We're hoping we get [Norgaard] back somewhere after the international break,” said Moyes. “He's hugely important for us. He's someone who we're looking forward to gaining his experience and his nous – but, at the moment, we haven't had him on the grass yet. Hopefully it won't be too long."

Everton’s first game after the international break is away against Hull on October 11, before they conclude the month with top-flight fixtures against Chelsea and Norgaard’s former side Arsenal.

Discussing the challenge that awaits Everton at Tottenham, Moyes said: “I think assessing that one game (Spurs winning 1-0 at home to Everton in May) on its own wouldn't be the right thing to do.

“When you think about what the crowd was like, the velocity to get a result on the day. I think it was a different Spurs on that last day than maybe it is at the moment, but since then, Spurs have spent lots of money and brought in players to try and make sure they're not in that position again.

“It wasn't too long ago at this club that we were in those sort of situations regularly, trying to win games and being put in the position of cup final. We can only look after ourselves.”

Following Everton’s disappointing end to the summer transfer window, Moyes has reiterated the club’s stance on the free agent market and how working with a small squad has it upsides.

"Of course we're looking to see if there's anything which could be of any use,” said the Scotsman. “But I think to be at the level we're at, to get someone who would really make a big difference, it's not an easy thing to pluck from that transfer group.

"I think that a small group together, the tightness which can happen. Look at Leicester City winning the league a few years ago and what it was like. It looked like a small group of players who had done that.

"It's probably less and less likely because of the way the games, the extra Champions League games, the extra international games means you need the extra players in your squad.

"We've not got European football this year, so maybe we can find a way of getting through with what we've got at the moment."

Everton currently sit eighth in the Premier League table after picking up five points from their opening three matches (W1 D2).

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