Jack Grealish's move to Everton has been a smashing success at the start of the year, but despite the England international proving a boon to the Toffees on loan, he will not be available to play against his parent club Man City.
Can Jack Grealish play against Man City? How Premier League loan rules affect Everton star in upcoming match originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Jack Grealish's move to has been a smashing success thus far, with the England international enjoying a return to regular first-team football.
The 30-year-old had seen his career begin to stagnate at , never truly securing a regular starting place under Pep Guardiola.
Having secured a change of scenery, Grealish seems back to his best, with a goal and four assists to begin the 2025-26 Premier League campaign at the brand new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
However, the Toffees will have to work out other options as they prepare to visit Grealish's "parent club" at the Etihad Stadium on October 18, thanks to the restrictions in place throughout English football which prevent the loanee from taking the field this weekend.
MORE:How loans work in football, including restrictions for Premier League players and more
Can Jack Grealish play for Everton vs. Man City?
Due to the restrictions placed on his loan, Jack Grealish will be unavailable to participate in either of Everton's domestic matches against Man City, including both the away trip on October 18 as well as the return fixture at home on May 2, 2026.
Premier League rules state that all players loaned out to domestic clubs cannot participate in league or cup matches against their parent club.
This rule, however, is specific to English football and is not widespread. Thus, if these two clubs were to hypothetically meet in European competition, Grealish would have been available to play.
MORE:An updated list of the Premier League top goal scorers for 2025/26 season
Why can't loan players face their parent club?
The Premier League has, for quite a while, restricted players out on loan from facing their parent club.
The reason for this is to prevent the awkward situation of players contracted to a particular club directly harming their competitive exploits while out on loan.
However, this is not commonly the case elsewhere in Europe and around the world. Unlike in England, most leagues leave this restriction up to the negotiations and contractual agreement of each loan. Thus, it must be written into each particular loan deal if such a restriction is to take effect.
In many countries, such as Spain, this kind of restriction is looked down upon. A clause in a player's loan deal preventing them from facing their parent club is colloquially referred to as a "fear clause." The general thinking is that if a player is surplus to requirements and thus loaned out elsewhere, the parent club shouldn't be afraid of them hurting them on the pitch, or else they shouldn't have loaned that player out in the first place.
Jack Grealish loan deal to Everton
With his Manchester City career stagnating, Jack Grealish moved to Everton on loan for the 2025/26 season.
The 30-year-old joined the Toffees with the hope of gaining increased minutes to revitalise his profile to put himself in the best position to play for England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to multiple reports, the deal sees Everton pay 75 percent of Grealish's wages for the year, seeing the move cost Everton approximately £12 million (€13.8m / $16.1m).
The reports also state that there is a £50 million (€57.5m / $66.9m) purchase option afforded to Everton at the end of the season, a figure which is highly unlikely to be triggered given the player's age as well as Everton's current financial position.
Category: General Sports
