The man from No 10 was very visible. The man in the No 10 shirt was not. But then perhaps Andy Burnham is seen more at Hill Dickinson Stadium than Jack Grealish these days.

As Everton advanced to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, it was with Prime Ministerial approval and managerial disapproval of his most high-profile signing. Jack Grealish had missed a training session and so missed the 3-1 win over Newcastle, a breach of club discipline resulting in his omission.

He missed out, too. The Carabao Cup may not matter much in the context of a Treble winner’s career, but it does for a club with no silverware in Grealish’s lifetime. His status and superstar’s salary can come with a responsibility. Grealish let David Moyes and Everton down. They responded by lifting themselves up. Progress came in spite of the flagship signing, not because of him.

For Everton, with a quarter-final booked at League Two Fleetwood, with a competition opening up in the absence of Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Brighton and now Newcastle, one of their best nights at their new home may make it easier to forgive.

Yet their wait for a trophy is sufficiently lengthy that this could be framed of the biggest game of their season so far. And in that context, Grealish’s absence was striking. In different ways, his ill-discipline could have brought Everton’s elimination from both knockout competitions in 2026. He was suspended for January’s FA Cup exit to Sunderland after a silly sending-off. This time the ban was imposed by Everton, not the FA. “It is a club decision and I support it,” said Moyes, though he, along with chief executive Angus Kinnear, was to have been involved in the decision. Perhaps Moyes spared Grealish when he said: “I don’t want to give any details.”

But his career is at a crossroads, and not merely because he is only on loan and with no contract for next season, when an extended stay at Everton seems the best possible outcome. He has the charisma and the common touch to give him a popularity with the public, but Pep Guardiola gave up on him. Moyes has sought to revive his fortunes and got an initial uplift last year. Yet since Manchester City’s 2023 Champions League win, Grealish has flattered to deceive. It may be unfair to say the turning point in his footballing life was the bender in Ibiza that followed the triumph in Istanbul. It nevertheless feels accurate.

Now Grealish plays too few games and scores too few goals. Whether his injury record is a consequence of his lifestyle is a matter of conjecture, but he has become a part-time presence. He missed Saturday’s loss at Arsenal through illness. He has three league starts in nine months, eight goals in all competitions in three-and-a-half years. Neither statistic is remotely good enough.

And if flair players are supposed to provide the magic, not merely the numbers, Everton lost their most creative force when Iliman Ndiaye was sold to City. They sought a replacement of sorts in the shape of Grealish. And when he was axed from the squad to face Newcastle, Moyes, his slender squad stretched still further, in effect replaced him with a goalkeeper, putting two on the bench.

But the Scot can prosper with a small, tight-knit squad. The classic Moyes team has dependable characters and developing players. Minus Grealish, James Garner was the driving force, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall the class act, Hayden Hackney the summer signing on the scoresheet.

Each impressed. A sliding Garner dispatched the opener. Hackney volleyed in the second goal, and his first for Everton, from Thierno Barry’s cross, following a great decision to play on from referee Farai Hallam, who was about whistle when Dewsbury-Hall was fouled by Jacob Ramsey. Dewsbury-Hall, who is proving the catalyst Grealish was supposed to be, set up Barry for the third.

Minus Grealish, players bought into their manager’s ethos. “The one thing about Everton is that they have got real good values,” said Moyes. “All the players stand behind it and accept the values, on the pitch and off the pitch, and the players did a good job. It is a small squad but we are doing our best to keep challenging.”

The commitment to the Everton cause was summed up by the captain James Tarkowski, making a brilliant block to stop Will Osula’s shot. The big name who has been a constant for 10 seasons is the man can invariably rely on. “Jordan Pickford’s dynamite” rang around Hill Dickinson still more than normal, perhaps because of his Sunderland affiliations.

Pickford can expect a hostile reception in the Premier League rematch at St James’ Park on Monday. Whether Grealish will be involved remains to be seen. “I wouldn’t give any team news anyway,” smiled Moyes.