Heartbreak for Jack Grealish! David Moyes confirms England hopeful's season is likely over as surgery decision made on Everton loanee's foot injury

Liverpool v Everton - Premier League

Jack Grealish has seen injury heartache bring his loan spell at Everton to a premature conclusion, while potentially dashing his World Cup dreams, with David Moyes admitting that the England international is likely to miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his foot. The Manchester City-owned forward is likely to require an operation, with a lengthy rehabilitation programme being worked through after that.

Loan benefits: Grealish thrived after joining Everton from Man City

Grealish enjoyed a productive start to his stint with the Toffees, having been allowed to leave the Etihad Stadium by Pep Guardiola. He registered four assists across his first two starts and was named Premier League Player of the Month for August. With that award being picked up in the week of his 30th birthday.

He netted a stoppage-time winner for Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium against Crystal Palace and grabbed the decisive goal in the Toffees’ first Premier League victory at Bournemouth. He has played 19 goals in total, but an outing against former club Aston Villa on January 18 looks like being his last - at least for now.

FBL-ENG-PR-ASTON VILLA-EVERTON

Grealish update: Season over as foot surgery required

Asked for an update on Grealish’s condition heading into a clash with Brighton on Saturday, Everton boss Moyes told reporters: “We believe he’s probably going to need surgery but that’s still not absolutely confirmed, but it probably rules him out for the rest of the season, yes.

“Look, it’s really disappointing for the player, the club, for all of us here. He’s such an important part and he’s a big character with big experience for us and we’ll miss him, he’s done a lot of really good things for us.”

There has been talk of Everton wanting to trigger the purchase option in Grealish’s loan agreement, which is said to sit at around the £50 million ($69m) mark, but Moyes is giving little away. Asked if it is too early to make such decisions, the Scot said: “Far too early.”

Transfer plans: Everton open to deals before deadline

While refusing to be drawn on Grealish’s future, Moyes admits that Everton are continuing to scour the January market for further additions - with another transfer deadline fast approaching.

He said when quizzed on recruitment plans: “I'd like to say we're out there looking, which I think I've said in every press conference. We're out there looking. It's not that we're shying away from it. I would say it's probably less than likely than likely…

“(In) January you can find players, it's not to say you can't, but I think we're seeing this window becoming quite a difficult one for a lot of teams.”

FBL-ENG-PR-ASTON VILLA-EVERTON

Everton searching for an attacking spark

Everton have been short on goals this season, and losing Grealish’s creativity will do little to aid that cause. Thierno Barry has started to come good of late, scoring four in his last six having required 17 games to open his goal account, and Moyes is hoping to find more of a spark in the final third.

He believes 23-year-old Barry can provide that in time, saying of his favoured No.9: “He has to keep progressing, but how he's playing at the moment wouldn't be enough to satisfy me. He'll have to play much better, score more goals.

“He needs to keep improving, but he has stepped up and scored a lot of important goals for us. Goals that won us a game at Aston Villa, for example. And a goal last week that got us a point (against Leeds).”

Another body that could be sticking around to help the collective cause is Harrison Armstrong, with the 19-year-old having been recalled from a loan spell at Preston to help cover enforced absences.

Asked if the youngster will be retained for the rest of the season, Moyes said: “We won't make a decision until certainly after Brighton. I'm in regular contact with Peter Ridsdale and Paul Heckingbottom at Preston - I'm on the phone to them every couple of days about it, but we'll wait and see how things go. He's not looked out of place in the Premier League. That's the biggest compliment I could give Harrison.”