David Moyes on Everton's Injury Challenges and Jack Grealish's Return

David Moyes admits Everton misjudged the scale of one injury problem, is juggling a thin squad and is ready to roll the dice on Jack Grealish as he eyes Tottenham this weekend and an awkward international break beyond it.

Injury frustration and a long wait

Moyes did not hide his disappointment over a long-term absentee whose recovery has dragged on far longer than anticipated.

"I don't think we expected his recovery to take this long when we signed him," he said. "We are looking forward to gaining his experience, but we haven't even had him on the grass yet. It is disappointing - for us and for him - but hopefully it won't be too long."

No training pitch time. No integration. Just a growing sense of frustration for player and club.

Grealish ready to be unleashed

Against that backdrop, Jack Grealish is edging towards centre stage.

For Moyes, the solution is simple: give him games.

Jack Grealish is, in his words, "a boy who needs football matches more than he needs training", and that could push him into contention for a first start since January this weekend.

"It will be incredibly exciting to have him in our starting line-up," Moyes said. "If he gives us what he gave us at the start of last season, we will be thrilled."

The message is clear. If Grealish can rediscover that early-season spark, Everton gain a different dimension.

Unbeaten, but not satisfied

Everton have yet to lose in the league, but Moyes is not dressing it up as perfection.

The unbeaten start is "pleasing in some aspects", he admitted, yet the manager wanted more than just resilience.

He "would have liked to get another win rather than a draw somewhere along the way", even if he did credit his squad for doing "a really good job".

So the base is solid. The push now is to turn that stability into something more ruthless.

Small squad, tight bond

Moyes knows exactly why that push might be complicated. Numbers.

With only 18 outfield players available, he has one of the leaner groups in the division. He sees the upside.

"You only have to look at Leicester City's title-winning squad to see how their small group of players thrived," he said, drawing a direct line between a compact dressing room and a strong sense of unity.

But the calendar bites. "It's the amount of games which means you need the extra players, but we don't have European football this year so maybe we can find a way of getting through with what we've got."

Even so, this is not his ideal scenario. Not close.

If he had the choice, Moyes would prefer "more numbers" this season, and he is clear on what that looks like: "21 outfield players" instead of the 18 currently at his disposal.

Scanning the free agent market

To close that gap, Everton have turned to the only market still open.

Moyes confirmed the club are actively exploring free agents in an effort to bolster the squad, but he underlined how tough that search is at Premier League level.

"It isn't easy to find a player who could make a difference," he said.

The bar remains high. Any signing must improve the team, not just fill a bench.

Spurs test and a warning from experience

Next up are Tottenham, still waiting for their first league goal and first league win of the campaign.

On paper, it looks like an opportunity. Moyes refuses to treat it that way.

"It wasn't too long ago that we were in those situations as a club," he reminded. "We know we can only look after ourselves. We didn't quite make it over the line there a couple of months ago, so hopefully we do it this time."

Everton carry their unbeaten record to a side searching for a spark. Moyes has seen how quickly those narratives can flip.

International break looming

Just as the domestic schedule starts to build, the season will be cut in two by a two-week international break that Moyes expects to be awkward for everyone.

He called it "difficult for everybody to manage" and spelled out why.

"There will be a lot of players who will end up playing a lot more minutes than others and injuries could be a problem as well," he said.

His hope is finely balanced. "We've got to hope that our boys do play a bit, but maybe not all of the games."

Grealish returning, a stretched squad, a tricky Spurs trip and an international window that could either spare or stretch his players further: Moyes knows the next few weeks will say plenty about what this Everton season is really built on.