Some top topics in the ACC Championship matchup between the No. 2 Fighting Irish (10-0) and No. 3 Tigers (9-1).

Mohamed Salah has been omitted from Liverpool’s team for today’s game at Crystal Palace, hours after giving an interview in which he admitted he was “disappointed” to be overlooked as the club’s stand-in captain and hinting that he could entertain a move to Spain. In a piece with Spanish publication AS, the Egyptian international said he thought he would be handed the role for the Champions League dead rubber against Midtjylland after Jordan Henderson started on the bench, and with vice-captains James Milner and Virgil Van Dijk unavailable due to injury. But Klopp opted to reward youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold with the temporary leadership role, a position the academy graduate is expected to absorb full-time later in his career. Salah said he was not happy with the decision. “Honestly, I was very disappointed,” he said. “I was expecting to be the captain. But it’s a manager’s decision, so I accept it.” The timing of the remarks, and the fact that they could be construed as disrespectful to Alexander-Arnold, is certain to cause consternation at Anfield. It will also prompt speculation that his omission from the starting XI today is a form of punishment, although manager Jurgen Klopp told BT Sport that Salah was simply being rested. “Mo Salah is on the bench, they have all played a lot of games,” he said. “He can come on and make a difference. We need all the boys.” Salah has played in his club’s last seven games, scoring in the last four, but the fact that Liverpool do not play again until Dec 27 against West Bromwich Albion makes his omission more surprising.

Kyrie Irving circled the Boston Garden parquet floor performing a spiritual cleansing ritual by waving burning sage in his hands before tipoff, then proceeded to torch his former team. After receiving hugs and high-fives at midcourt before tipoff from former teammates Tristan Thompson, Marcus Smart and others, the Nets point guard got down to business and handed out some punishment to the Boston Celtics. Irving scored 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting and had seven rebounds, five assists and two steals helping the Nets rout the Celtics 113-89 Friday night in the final preseason game for both teams.

Reigning overall champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde added Saturday’s World Cup downhill to his super-G success at Val Gardena the day before to take the lead in his pursuit of a second straight big crystal globe.

India captain Virat Kohli insisted Saturday he was “very, very confident” his team would bounce back from their worst-ever batting display, blaming a poor mindset for the side throwing away the first Test against Australia.

After watching the Celtics get run off the floor in their only preseason home game, our Chris Forsberg suggests the Celtics find a rhythm prior to Wednesday’s opener or the season could get bumpy in a hurry.

Red Bull says neither Sebastian Vettel nor Nico Hulkenberg were ever seriously considered for a 2021 race seat with the team.

Mikel Arteta insists he feels the support at Arsenal, but acknowledges the club have gone through a challenging year. The Gunners have taken only 14 points from 13 Premier League matches this season, their lowest tally at this stage of a campaign since 1974-75 – since Arteta took charge last December, Arsenal have won more cup matches (14 of 17) than league games (13 of 33). Arteta’s side sit 15th and the Spaniard is in desperate need of a positive result when Arsenal visit his former team Everton on Saturday, with the Toffees’ boss Carlo Ancelotti also nearing his one-year anniversary.